How to clean a grill: grates, burners, grease tray and lid

Step by step: how to clean a grill

Safety first. Let the grill cool before you touch the inside. Close the propane tank valve and disconnect it, or unplug a pellet grill, before cleaning burners or the cook box. Check the grates for loose wire bristles after brushing: the CDC has reported people swallowing bristles that ended up in grilled food.

1. 1

   Burn off the grates on high

   Close the lid and run the grill on high for 10 to 15 minutes. Old grease and food turn to dry, flaky carbon that brushes off easily. You should see little or no smoke by the end.

2. 2

   Brush the grates while they are hot

   Wearing a heat-resistant glove, brush along the bars with firm strokes, then across them. Wipe the grates with a folded paper towel held in tongs to pick up the loosened carbon, and look closely for any stray wire bristles.

3. 3

   Shut off the fuel and let it cool

   Turn the burners off, close the propane tank valve and disconnect the hose, or unplug a pellet grill. Wait until everything is cool enough to touch, usually 30 to 45 minutes.

4. 4

   Scrape the lid and cook box

   Peeling black flakes on the inside of the lid are carbonized grease, not paint. Brush or scrape them off, then lift out the grates and scrape the walls and floor of the cook box with a plastic scraper, pushing everything toward the grease tray or ash catcher.

5. 5

   Clean the bars and burners

   On a gas grill, scrape the heat shields (Weber calls them Flavorizer bars) and brush the burner tubes from side to side, never along their length, so you do not push debris into the gas ports. On a pellet grill, scrape the heat deflector and empty ash from the fire pot area as your manual describes.

6. 6

   Empty the grease tray or ash catcher

   Slide out the grease tray and scrape it into the trash, then replace the disposable drip pan if yours uses one. On a charcoal grill, empty the cold ash from the bowl and ash catcher. Grease left here is the most common cause of flare-ups.

7. 7

   Wash the grates if they need it

   For heavy buildup, scrub the grates in warm soapy water with a non-scratch sponge, rinse, and dry them right away. Cast iron grates need a thin wipe of cooking oil afterward so they do not rust.

8. 8

   Wipe the outside and reassemble

   Wash the lid, side tables and handles with warm soapy water and a microfiber cloth, wiping stainless steel in the direction of the grain. Put the grates back, reconnect the gas, and run the grill on high for 10 minutes to dry everything and burn off any soap residue.

How cleaning differs for gas, charcoal and pellet grills

All three need hot grates brushed every cook and the cook box scraped every few months; what changes is where the mess collects. Gas grills collect grease, charcoal grills collect ash, and pellet grills collect both. So the best way to clean a grill is the one that empties its own trap: the grease tray and burners on a gas grill, the ash in a charcoal grill, and both on a pellet grill.

Weber’s deep-cleaning guide stresses that ash buildup in a charcoal grill restricts airflow and makes the coals burn cooler, so emptying the ash catcher is part of every clean, not an extra. It also says to aim for a full clean at least every three months.

Are wire grill brushes safe?

Wire brushes are safe if the brush is in good shape and you check the grates afterward, but a worn brush can shed bristles into food. The CDC described cases of people who needed emergency treatment after swallowing wire bristles from grill-cleaning brushes, and it advises checking the grate surface before cooking.

• Replace your brush at least once a season, or sooner if bristles are bent, loose or matted with grease.
• After brushing, wipe the grates with an oiled paper towel held in tongs; it picks up anything the brush left behind.
• Bristle-free options include coil brushes, wooden scrapers that wear grooves to fit your grates, and pumice-style grill stones.
• Weber’s meal-to-meal routine is simple: preheat on high for 10 to 15 minutes, brush, and you do not need to wash the grates between cooks.

How to clean each type of grate

Match the tool to the grate: stainless steel tolerates firm scrubbing, porcelain enamel chips if you are rough, and cast iron rusts if you leave it wet.

• Stainless steel: brush hot, and soak in warm soapy water for heavy buildup. A paste of baking soda and water helps on brown stains.
• Porcelain-enameled steel or cast iron: use a nylon or brass brush or a wooden scraper. Avoid metal scrapers that chip the coating; chipped spots rust.
• Bare cast iron: brush hot, wash only when needed, dry over heat, and rub on a thin coat of oil, like a cast iron skillet.

Check your grill manual before using oven cleaner or any spray cleaner on grates or inside the cook box. Some finishes are damaged by caustic cleaners.

Why a clean grill is a safer grill

Built-up grease is fuel. NFPA’s grilling safety guidance tells you to keep the grill clean by removing grease and fat from the grates and the trays below, to keep it well away from the house and deck railings, and to check gas hoses for leaks at the start of each season.

A quick leak test is to brush soapy water on the hose and connections with the tank valve open and burners off: growing bubbles mean a leak. Close the tank and replace the part before you light the grill. If you have a flat-top too, see our guide to cleaning a Blackstone griddle, which needs oil instead of soap.

Mistakes to avoid

• Using a worn wire brush and not checking the grates for loose bristles before cooking.
• Brushing along the length of gas burner tubes, which pushes grease into the ports.
• Ignoring the grease tray until it overflows and causes a grease fire.
• Leaving cast iron grates wet after washing, so they rust by the next cook.
• Spraying oven cleaner on porcelain grates or inside the cook box without checking the manual.
• Dumping charcoal ash into a plastic bin before it is completely cold.