How to Clean the Outside of a Grill

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The method used to clean your grill’s exterior varies with the materials that it is made from. In this post, we explain how to clean porcelain grills, stainless grills and black matte grills with everyday household supplies.

Before cleaning the outside of your grill, make sure the barbecue grill is cool to the touch.

Clean a Porcelain Grill

Cleaning the outside of a porcelain grill is as easy as soap and water. Take some dish washing liquid (Dawn) and dissolve it in warm water. With a soft or microfiber cloth, gently scrub the outside of the grill. The solution should cut the grease and make it easier to remove. Replace the cloth as it gets dirty for best results. Rinse the surface with a clean cloth and clean water to remove any soapy residue.

Dry the exterior porcelain surface with a clean cloth and buff it lightly as you dry it. That’s all you need to clean the outside of the grill.

Do not use any abrasive cleaners, scouring pads, steel wool or anything scratchy as it might leave marks or chip the finish.

Clean the Exterior of a Stainless Grill

The outside of a stainless steel grill will show every bit of grease splatter and every dried drop of rain that falls on gas grills. And while stainless steel is durable, it can be damaged. This is especially true of paste grill cleaners; they will remove the coating on the stainless steel which is a protective finish. Grill brushes have no place on the exterior of a bbq grill.

We always start with a dish soap and warm water solution. This will remove the baked on grease splatters as quick as anything. Use a soft cloth or microfiber cloth with the solution and work it onto the stainless steel surface gently. Always work with the grain when you clean a stainless steel grill.

Rinse the surface of the grill with clean water to remove any traces of the soapy water.

You can apply a stainless steel cleaner and polish at this point to really bring up the shine on the surface of the grill. We have used both Weiman and Mr. Clean Outdoor with success in the past. Regular use will keep your grill looking like new.

Cleaning a Matte Black Finish Grill

You can bring your matte black finish grill back to life with a simple cleaning every so often to remove built up grease and grime. Manufacturers caution against using anything abrasive such as scouring pads or stainless steel cleaner or a coarse wire brush on the exterior finish.

A good washing with a soft cloth and dish washing soap cleaning solution will remove the grit, grime and grease from the matte finish. Rinse off the soapy residue and dry the exterior surfaces with a soft cloth. That’s all you need.

You can use a glass cleaner such as Windex or Sparkle to help clean the matte finish, but not with paper towels which may mar the finish. Most of the time, a gentle wiping down with warm soapy water is all you need to keep the grill clean on the outside.

The best coarse of action when it comes to keeping the exterior of your grill clean is to wipe it down after every use (when it’s cool of course) so that grease and grime does not build up. Invest in a well-fitting grill cover to keep the exterior surfaces protected from chlorine spray from the pool, acid rain, or pollutants….or even birds!