Best way to clean a BBQ

You don't need to rack your brains to discover the best way to clean a BBQ; all it takes is a bit of preparation and elbow grease. That said, there are several different types of BBQ. While the best BBQ for some may be a charcoal grill or a Kamado, others may prefer the convenience of a gas, hybrid or electric model.

Each type of BBQ needs to be cleaned in its own particular way. Added to that, there are several ways to clean each type of BBQ - including a quick clean and a deep clean. Understandably, some people prefer to avoid chemical cleaning agents around their food and opt for making natural cleaning solutions instead. And some smart cookies eschew all the hard work of scraping and scrubbing and use a pressure washer or hose pipe.

In this guide, we'll suggest the best method for each type of BBQ, along with some essential tips. The first rule of BBQ club: I will take time to deep clean my barbecue at least once a year...

How to clean an electric BBQ

If you've gone the whole hog and your BBQ is suffering from chilli sauce ruination, you'll be glad to know it's easy to clean an electric BBQ. First, let's focus on tabletop BBQs, such as the Ninja Woodfire or a George Foreman grill. It's super easy to remove grease, dust and specks because the grill is a non-stick surface. You can remove solidified fats or food bits by hand with ease.

You will need:

Hot water
Washing up liquid
Sponge
Rubber spatula
Paper towels
Cloth

Unplug the grill and make sure it's cool. Wipe off excess grease with a paper towel. If your electric BBQ has a drip tray, wipe towards it. Next, scrub off burnt-on grease with a sponge and hot soapy water. If there are particularly stubborn cheese or meat bits that are sticking, you can use a rubber spatula to work them off. A spatula is a useful tool as it can get into the grooves.

Do not use an abrasive, such as wire wool, as this will scratch a non-stick surface. It goes without saying really, but never submerge an electric grill in water. The removable drip tray can be soaked in water for a thorough clean.

Finally, wipe the grill down with a damp cloth to remove the soapy suds and remaining grease. Tough areas will need extra scrubbing. Then, dry off the grill with paper towels. Do not air dry as this could lead to rusting. Turn the grill on for a few minutes to ensure it's absolutely dry.

Some electric grills have detachable parts that can be cleaned in the dishwasher. Check the manufacturer's instructions.

What if it's an outdoor electric BBQ?

The difference with an outdoor electric BBQ is that it may well have removable grill grates, rather than a non-stick surface. You'll need all of the above cleaning products and add in a wire brush.

First, make sure your BBQ is turned off and unplugged. Let it cool down until it's only slightly warm. Scrape the grill grates with a wire brush. Grates can be soaked in soap and water.

If it has a removable liner, take it out and use a spatula to prise off caked-on grease. Use a wet, soapy sponge to clean all the surfaces thoroughly. Just think of all the grease from barbecued sausages, burnt ends and brown bits that build up with regular use. This can begin to taint the taste of fresh food, which is why it's so important to do both quick cleans and the occasional deep clean.

Wipe the lid with a damp cloth and then use a dry cloth to thoroughly remove all the moisture from all parts of the BBQ.

Finally, we don't recommend using a pressure washer or hose pipe on an electric BBQ.

A natural cleaning solution

A natural cleaning solution to deep-clean grill grates is a mix of 470ml vinegar to 240ml baking soda. Leave to soak overnight in a totally airtight plastic bag, such as a bin liner. Do this once a year to remove greasy debris from your grill grates.

How to clean a gas BBQ

If all those medium rare steaks have left a mark, and the turkey's tasting smoky for the wrong reasons, then it's time to deep clean your gas BBQ. Allow a bit of time for this, as there is some scraping and scrubbing to do.

But if you want your marinated salmon, juicy burger patties and satay chicken skewers to taste individually fresh and distinct then it's a job worth doing.

You will need:

Hot water
BBQ cleaner solution / natural solution in a spray bottle (1:2 white vinegar and baking soda topped up with water)
Metal scraper
Wire wool (fine and thick steel wool for stubborn stains)
Nylon scrubbing brush
Scotch pad
Paper towels
Cloths
Cordless vacuum (optional)

Run the grill on full power for 5-10 minutes to burn food particles off and scrape the grill grates. You can do this the day before the deep clean to allow everything to cool down. When you're ready, remove the grill grates and start with the inside of the grill.

Scrape all the debris from inside the lid. The BBQ interior doesn't need to be restored to its original shine. Remember it's been seasoned with wonderful flavours. Think of those hickory smoked ribs in beer-soaked wood chips. Also, it's a bad idea to spray it with chemical cleaning solutions as you're placing food, from raw to cooked, within those surfaces.

The following applies as much to charcoal and hybrid BBQs as it does to gas models: Inside the grill, you'll need to clean the heat deflectors, burners, flavouriser bars, drip pans and the interior cavity itself. Use good stiff nylon brushes to loosen hard-to-reach bits. Brush carefully to avoid getting debris in the burner holes, or use a cordless vacuum. Inspect the burners closely - you really don't want to have dirt on them as it will create acrid smoke.

A top tip for Weber is to use a disposable grease pan as this can be removed and replaced when it's full of rancid fat. This saves the bother of having to clean the permanent drip tray out. It's a good idea to use a wide rectangular pan to clean individual grates to catch the debris. Some parts may need a soak in water and scrubbing with firewire wool.

Don't use wire wool on shiny stainless steel surfaces, such as the exterior of your BBQ, as it will mark. Remove ketchup smears and grease by spraying it with cleaner and wiping it with a paper towel. If in doubt, try a patch in a small inconspicuous area to see if your Scotch pad marks it.

Once the BBQ is clean and wiped dry as possible with paper towels, reassemble all the parts and turn the BBQ on for 5-10 minutes to evaporate off any final water. Do a light clean two or three times a year to scrape any debris. In those instances, there's no need to take all the parts out.

How to clean a BBQ with a pressure washer

Maybe you want to give your BBQ a thorough deep clean before you cover it and put it away for winter. A quick and simple method using a pressure washer turns a big job into a task that takes minutes.

First, heat the grill up to activate caked-on grease. Then, scrape off what you can. Take all grill grates and any other pieces out of the BBQ and lay them on a flat surface outdoors. Apply an oven degreaser to all parts.

Fire up your pressure washer and use a spray nozzle with a 15-degree tip to get all the grease off the pieces. It's incredibly satisfying to watch all the gunky meat jam get blasted away with such force and ease.

For the inside of the grill - open the bottom tray so water can flow through - and please remember to remove electrical cables from the area and avoid delicate parts of the BBQ.

How to clean a charcoal BBQ?

The essence of having a Barbie is epitomised by the chargrill flavours that are captured by cooking on charcoal. Smoking hot coals sear spare ribs, resulting in fatty juices that drip unctuously, causing flames to flare up. It's primal, dirty and most definitely cuts the mustard with die-hard grill masters.

Charcoal BBQs can be round kettle grills or rectangular in shape. Because there are no electrical parts you can use a pressure washer or a hose to clean them, but first you have to deal with the charcoal ashes.

Let's go through a method for giving a kettle BBQ a deep clean.

You will need:

Metal scrappers
Sponge
Spray nozzle on a hose
Degreaser
Microfiber cloth
Fine wire wool

Scrape all the caked-on grease off the grill grate with a wire brush and remove the grate and Slow and Sear, if you have one. There will be ash and debris in the bottom of the BBQ bowl.

Some models, like Weber kettle BBQs, have an easy clean system to knock ash down into the basket so it can be removed. Put ash in a metal ash bin for a couple of days before disposing of, to ensure it's absolutely stone cold.

Next, scrape stubborn grime from the inside of the BBQ with a metal scraper. Scrape in a downward direction. For particularly caked-on grease use a metal scraper at an angle. The inside of the lid needs scraping too. Spray with a degreaser and use fine wire wool to get rid of any remaining particles in both the lid and the bowl.

Remember to clean the lip of the bowl too, so that there's a good seal between the lid and bowl - this helps to keep the temperature under control.

Rinse the lid and bowl and grill grates with a fine spray, using a hose pipe attachment and work with a sponge, creating a lather from the detergent. The exterior of the BBQ can be cleaned with a hose too as grease coats both the inside and the outside. Let all the parts dry - you can use paper towels and cloths to aid this - then reassemble.

How to deep clean a Kamado BBQ?

You're literally playing with fire with these bad-boy ovens. A ceramic Kamado BBQ requires maintenance and appropriate protective clothing. Invest in high-heat-resistant gloves that are specially designed for your Kamado.

Always make sure your protective gloves are bone dry. Moisture turns to steam when it gets heated, so your gloves won't protect you as steam will penetrate through to your skin.

This is especially important as the method to clean a Kamado BBQ involves lighting a fire and getting it to 350 degree Celsius with all the grill racks, pizza stone and deflector plates that you want to clean inside. It's called a Clean Burn. This process deep-cleans the ceramic plates and grills. It removes baked-on grease with astonishing results. No need for elbow grease or cleaning materials with a Kamado BBQ, these ingenious and versatile ovens are self-cleaning.

Low and slow cooking creates dirty smoke and off-putting tastes over time. Additionally, you may be using your Kamado BBQ in a range of ways: from a tandoor to a pizza oven or even to cook yakitori. That's why it's important to periodically clean and maintain your Kamado oven twice a year.

The following method is based on cleaning a Kamado Joe BBQ; a top choice for pitmasters worldwide.

First, build a fire - load up with charcoal and when it's white-hot - use the X accessory rack (or equivalent) to install the heat deflector plates on the second level and grids that need cleaning above them on the top level. Open Kontrol Tower Top Vent all the way as well as the bottom draught door. Reach 350 degrees Celsius on the dome gauge and let the grill run for an hour - close the lid vent when up to temperature.

This is the stage at which to be very careful: check the grates and ceramic plates, and clean using a wire brush that is specifically designed for this task. The high temperature can damage weaker wire brushes. Remove the grates in order to flip the deflector plates. You'll notice that the side that's been exposed to the fire is like-new as all the grime has burnt off and is reduced to ash at the bottom of the BBQ. It literally cooks off baked-on food.

Let it cool off overnight and everything will have burnt off to ash. Take all the pieces out of the grill in order to clean out the charcoal first. Lift all the ceramics out - including the fire ring - taking care as it's heavy - and then remove the firebox.

There will be ash in the bottom that needs sweeping out. Then, using a plastic bristle brush, sweep around the inside and brush down the firebox and fire ring. You can use a cordless vacuum to remove any dust or debris that remains. Finally, replace all the parts and check the lid bands for tightness. Tighten with a spanner. Wipe the exterior with a cleaning spray so it shines.

How to clean a hybrid BBQ

Removing congealed fat and burnt-on cheese from your hybrid BBQ follows the same process as cleaning a gas BBQ albeit with a charcoal drawer to clean out. Some models, like the Weber Genesis EPX-335 Smart Barbecue have a grease management system that directs any fat or bits of food into a disposable tray so it's super easy to clean.

Make sure the BBQ is empty and put it on full power for a few minutes. This burns off all the grease so it's easier to scrape off with a brush. Pay attention to cleaning the burners to prevent smell and blockages. It doesn't need to shine on the inside, discolouration happens naturally with use. Remember to clean the inside of the lid so debris doesn't fall on your food.

Use a cordless vacuum or a brush to remove fine particles and give it a thorough scrub with soapy water. Rinse the BBQ and wipe it off with a cloth or paper towel. Finally, run the BBQ for a few minutes so the heat thoroughly dries out any remaining moisture.

What to read next:

The best Weber BBQ for your grilling needs

Best BBQ fuel to use: Guide for hybrid, electric, gas and charcoal barbecues

Ninja Woodfire grill review: You can simply do it all

Natalie Knowles is a Homes & Garden Product Writer for Modern Gardens, specialising in garden trends. When she's not flexing her mow-how, Natalie is a successful artist and illustrator.