How to clean a BBQ grill

A BBQ grill that only ever gets a quick brush-down between cooks builds up layers of baked-on fat and carbon that a wire brush alone won't shift — and that buildup isn't just unpleasant, it's a genuine flare-up and smoke risk next time you fire it up. Knowing how to clean a BBQ grill properly means going past the hotplate to the burners, fat tray and grease trap underneath, which is where most of the actual fire risk and bad-tasting smoke comes from. Here's the full process.

What you'll need

• A stiff wire brush or grill scraper
• Warm, soapy water (dish soap works fine)
• Bicarbonate of soda for baked-on plates
• A degreaser suited to your grill's surface (check compatibility for enamel vs stainless)
• An old cloth or paper towel
• Gloves
• A bucket for the fat tray

Step 1: Heat it first (if it's gas or electric)

Turn the BBQ on and run it on high for 10–15 minutes with the lid down before you start cleaning. The heat loosens grease and carbon on the plates and grill, making the next steps significantly easier. Turn it off and let it cool to a safe-to-touch temperature before continuing.

Step 2: Brush the grill and hotplates

With a stiff wire brush or dedicated grill scraper, work over the grill bars and hotplate surface while they're still slightly warm — this is when loosened residue comes off easiest. Brush in one direction along the grill lines rather than scrubbing randomly, and use a scraper for any stubborn baked-on patches.

Step 3: Remove and soak the plates (if they're heavily soiled)

For plates with significant carbon buildup, remove them once cool and soak in warm water with a squirt of dish soap for 20–30 minutes, or make a bicarb paste and leave it on the worst patches for an hour before scrubbing. This softens deposits a dry brush can't fully lift.

Step 4: Clean the burners

With the gas turned off, brush along each burner tube to clear any blocked ports — a blocked burner causes uneven heat and can be a safety issue. Check for spider webs or debris in the venturi tubes (the tubes leading from the control knobs to the burners), which is a common cause of poor ignition and uneven flames.

Step 5: Empty and degrease the fat tray and grease trap

This is the step most people skip, and it's the one that matters most for fire safety. Remove the fat tray and grease trap, empty any accumulated fat into the bin (never down the sink), then wash thoroughly with hot soapy water. A neglected grease trap is one of the leading causes of BBQ flare-ups and fires — it should be checked and emptied every few cooks, not just at a deep clean.

Step 6: Wipe down the exterior and reassemble

Wipe the hood, control panel and trolley with warm soapy water and a cloth, then dry everything and reassemble. Do a quick function check — turn the gas on, confirm each burner lights evenly, and you're ready to cook.

When to call a professional

A BBQ that's been genuinely neglected for a season or more — thick carbon on the plates, a fat tray that's overflowed, burners clogged enough to affect the flame — often needs more than a home clean can fully strip back, particularly on built-in or outdoor kitchen units where access is tighter. A professional BBQ clean uses the same non-toxic degreasing gels as a professional oven clean to strip years of buildup back to bare metal, with every burner function-tested before we finish, so it's genuinely safe to cook on the same day.