I’ve tried cleaning barbecue grates with ammonia left in the sun in black garbage bags. I’ve tried wire scrapers (very bad), and bristle brushes (they clog with grease immediately), and I even made a cedar scraper to get the big chunks off – but nothing was “easy”. All of these methods involved either toxic fumes, a waste of money and/or a LOT of scrubbing.
That’s why today I had to share how to EASILY clean barbecue grates – and guys, I’m slapping myself for not thinking of it sooner!
A few years ago I bought this little Weber Q2000 barbecue. I’m not a big fan of cooking, and am certainly no BBQ connoisseur, so I found a quality brand that had enough grilling space to hold 6 decent-sized burgers.
*This post is NOT sponsored, but I am including links to the products I used in case you want to try. For full Amazon affiliate link disclosure, please see the bottom of the page.
That’s all a girl needs I think.
I love my little guy – he’s perfect for what I use him for – steaks and the occasional burger for a small group.
Damn, now I may need to buy the griddle plate – breakfast on the barbecue sounds kind of awesome.
I digress.
I’ve had my little guy for about 3 years and have never properly cleaned it. I’ve used a cedar scraper to get the big chunks off, but I’ve never taken the time to *really clean it because I was told (by all men everywhere) that grease on the grill adds flavour.
I recently saw a Facebook post on the Rust-Oleum Canada feed that showed using Krud Kutter to clean barbecue grates.
What??!!
I have a stash of this on-hand in my workshop because it is fantastic for removing cured paint – yup even years after the spill – so I absolutely LOVE this stuff. I also use it to clean furniture before refinishing – in lieu of TSP – because it’s non-toxic and biodegradable.
What I didn’t know is that there are so many other uses for it.
This isn’t a sponsored post – I’m just sharing because it worked so incredibly well to EASILY clean your barbecue.
What? Soap scum too?! I had no idea – trying that later today!
Let me show you what I started with:
Gross – I mean “flavourful” right?
That’s a lot of build-up for someone that only uses her barbecue about once per month.
I laid out a kitchen garbage bag on my driveway and put my grates on top. I wasn’t worried about the Krud Kutter staining my driveway, but I was worried that all of the grease would drip off and leave big oil stains.
I sprayed the BBQ grate with a thick layer of Krud Kutter and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
That’s it – no wrapping, no scrubbing, no fumes, almost no work.
After 10 minutes I used a dollar store sponge with a scouring side and wiped the grease off.
No scrubbing. Maybe 4 wipes total and that’s how clean it came!
From this:
to this:
I probably should do inside the shell of the BBQ as well, but I wanted to test it out on the grates first.
That’s HUGE!
I did have to throw out the sponge afterwards – the scouring side did become clogged with grease. I also washed the grates with a bit of dawn dish soap afterwards; although the Krud Kutter is non-toxic, I felt better about washing off any reside that might be left behind.
I was so impressed that I just had to share.
If you need a mid-summer clean-up, or want a clean grill for upcoming guests or parties – this is the easiest way I’ve found to really clean your barbecue grates.
Have a great one!