Tips | Grill | Cleaning | Safety | Maintenance | HPBA

Grill Cleaning Tips

Make grilling clean-up easy! Follow these tips so that you can get back to enjoying your outdoor space with friends and family.

  • Before lighting the grill, apply non-stick spray on the grates. The protective spray cuts down the clean-up time afterwards.
    For charcoal grills, line the bowl with aluminum foil. After grilling, and once the grill and coals are cool (as a rule of thumb, always allow coals to burn out completely and let ashes cool* at least 48 hours before disposing), simply discard the foil with the coals and ash. Then, wash and reline with foil for next time.

** If you must dispose of coals and ashes before completely cooled, place them in heavy-duty foil and soak with water completely before disposing in a non-combustible container.

  • There are multiple options to scrub away buildup on the grates once the grill has cooled (various brush types and cleaning blocks).
  • Squirt grease-cutting dishwashing detergent on grill and grates (once cool). 
  • Scrub with brush or abrasive pad, then rinse. A repeat may be necessary. 
  • For tougher jobs, place cool grill grates inside a plastic garbage bag and spray them with oven cleaner. Tie the bag shut and let it sit outside for a few hours. Wearing rubber gloves, place grates on a newspaper and then scrub with abrasive brush or scrub pad. Rinse with water.
  • You can also spray oven cleaner in the bowl of the grill and, wearing rubber gloves, wipe the residue out using crumpled newspaper.


Grill Brush Safety

If you opt to use a brush with bristles to clean your grill, follow these safety steps:

  • In many ways, grill brushes are like toothbrushes. When you see the bristles beginning to flatten or lose their efficacy, it’s time to replace.
  • Apply the “tweezer test”: take a pair of tweezers, randomly select five to 10 bristles and gently pull – if any bristles come off, it’s time to replace.
  • We don't recommend not leaving grill brushes exposed to the elements when not in use. The rain, sunlight, humidity, snow, etc., can age them prematurely. 
  • Above all, treat your grill brush just as you would any part of your grill and grilling environment: Follow manufacturers’ instructions and continuously inspect before and after using.