How to clean your BBQ and get it ready for summer

It's that time of year again

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The sunshine has finally graced the UK with its presence, which can only mean one thing: it’s BBQ season.

But before you get the grill fired up, remember that you probably haven’t used it since last summer, which means it’s probably in dire need of a deep clean.

There are a few myths about how best to go about scrubbing your BBQ grill, with some methods involving onions while others require beer.

Read on for the best tips on how to clean your BBQ.

1. Warm it up first

It’s easier to clean a BBQ if it has been preheated first, because it means the food and grease can be scraped off more easily.

For a gas grill, turn the the heat on high for up to 10 minutes. Similarly, for a charcoal grill, preheat with the lid on and vents open for the same length of time.

2. Steam clean it

Once it’s warmed up, cover the grill in water-soaked newspaper and close the lid for half an hour.

This will give the barbecue a good steam clean and soften any leftover food bits.

3. Start scrubbing

Make sure the grill has cooled down. Now find the toughest scrubbing brush you own, ideally one with wire bristles, and use this to clear your grill of grime, grit, and bits of burger that have been stuck no there since last summer.

If you don’t have a wire bristle or a brass bristle brush, try scrunching up some aluminium foil and use this instead, it's surprisingly effective.

4. If you’re going to use an onion, do so now

It’s an old tactic but sometimes it really does work.

(Getty Images/iStockphoto (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Place half a white onion on the and of a fork and rub it onto the hot grill. This should remove any dirt that hasn't been scrubbed off by the wire brush.

5. Baking soda

Another trick some people prefer is to use baking soda to clean their BBQ. Simply sprinkle some onto the grill and mix some separately in a bowl with water.

Then dip a sponge into the bowl and use this to rub all over the grill until there’s no baking soda left.

6. Use a dishcloth

Give your BBQ one final scrub to scrape off any remaining bits of grit by soaking a cloth in hot soapy water and scrubbing it all over the grill.

Now you’re ready to finally cook some meals on your sparkling clean BBQ.

Click here for tips on how to cook the best meat on your BBQ and here for some vegan alternatives.