Getting your BBQ Ready for the First Use! - A Quick Start Guide!
Posted by Melissa McCabe on
You’re driving home on a gorgeous spring day and you smell it; your neighbour broke out his grill! Not to be outdone yourself, you pull your grill out of the shed, lug it up onto your deck and get ready for a feast… of hot dogs and patties left in your freezer from the season before. Days like the first grilling day of the year sneak up on you, amiright?!
Nevertheless, you got your grill out and tonight you’re grilling! Here’s a few things you may want to do before you turn that first burner on!
*These tips are suitable for a quick spring-time setup of your grill. Stay tuned for a full grill deep clean post coming soon!*
Safety first! Check that propane hose!
All it takes is one bad winter or one determined mouse and you could be in for a surprise when you turn the gas on! Making sure your hoses and connectors are in good shape could save you from a horrible disaster!
A quick clean up can go a long way
At the very least we advise you to give your grill’s grates a good scrub down—you will be eating the food off them after all. Don’t use soap because sometimes it takes a while to burn off and can leave your food tasting… bubbly.
Use hot water and a wire brush to get as much gunk off as possible (of course cleaning your grill in the fall is also a good idea to lessen the work load in the spring).
Does your grill have a grease trap? More than likely.
Did you know you have to clean it out? Many people don’t! This is not only a fire hazard but also a great place for bugs, rodents and yucky mold to call home!
Many grills have a small tin under the grates that catches the excess grease and these should be cleaned out every few uses to avoid any of the risks we mentioned above!
When you have more time – A deep clean is necessary!
Later on, you should really strip your grill down and give it a much deeper clean! Deep cleans should be done every month or so during the grilling season but timeline can vary depending on how much you grill.
We’re going to have a full deep cleaning post go up in the coming weeks!