| One of the greatest pleasures of the long | | | | If you have a casing and hood that is |
| summer days is standing over a scalding | | | | vitreous enamel you may have to use an oven |
| barbecue grill in your backyard blackening a | | | | cleaner type product (preferably non-toxic) |
| row of your favorite sausages. | | | | to remove the baked on grease. Depending upon |
| | | | the state of the grease you may have to do |
| When daylight saving starts, barbecues across | | | | this several times and then the grease can be |
| the country will be wakened from their winter | | | | removed with scourers and cloths. You should |
| hibernation and prepared for the summer | | | | also wash the complete casing thoroughly. |
| season. That is the time to do a few routine | | | | |
| checks and preparations which will keep your | | | | De-rusting and re-oiling |
| barbecue operating safely for the season. | | | | |
| | | | If your grills and burners are cast iron, |
| Cleaning the inside of your barbecue | | | | they may have corroded over winter. Scrape |
| | | | off any flaked rust and then give the surface |
| The first step to annual barbecue maintenance | | | | a good scour with a wire brush, wash all the |
| is cleaning. It has to be done! | | | | parts and then spray with cooking oil before |
| | | | they rust up again. |
| The secret to cleaning your barbecue is to do | | | | |
| it every time you use it, but don't go over | | | | If the outer casing is developing rust spots, |
| the top - a coat of natural food oils on the | | | | these should be rubbed back with steel wool |
| cast iron parts protects them from rust. | | | | and treated with rust converter before |
| Eventually those oils, fats and burnt-on food | | | | retouching with heat-resistant paint. |
| will build up excessively and need to be | | | | |
| removed. | | | | Timber barbecue trolleys can be kept in good |
| | | | order by re-oiling them once a year. Give the |
| Warm barbecues are easier to clean than cold | | | | trolley a light sanding then use outdoor |
| ones, so start it up for a short time first | | | | furniture oil or a specially formulated |
| then turn it off and disconnect the gas | | | | barbecue trolley oil. This will not only soak |
| before dismantling the entire barbecue to | | | | through oil stains on the top of your trolley |
| wash all the parts one by one. | | | | but help protect against new ones. |
| | | | |
| The grills can be spread out on some | | | | Renew volcanic heating rocks each year as |
| newspaper and scraped clean with a grill | | | | they become clogged with grease and oil. |
| scraper which is normally specially shaped to | | | | Empty the old sand from the drip tray, clean |
| fit around the grill bars. | | | | the tray and give it a spray of vegetable oil |
| | | | before lining it with aluminium foil. Place |
| Alternately, grab a grill stone. These | | | | new washed sand on top of the foil. |
| man-made stone blocks are soft enough to | | | | |
| grind to the shape of the grill as you use | | | | Keep it working (and safe) |
| them, removing grease and burnt-on food as | | | | |
| you go. This is a great tool as it customises | | | | Gas taps can become stiff over winter, |
| to your grill shape. | | | | causing plastic controls to break. Remove the |
| | | | plastic knobs and spray the mechanisms with a |
| Spray on some cooking oil before scrubbing | | | | lubricant like WD-40 to free them up. Apply a |
| the grill clean with warm water and soap | | | | drop of sewing machine oil to each tap and |
| mixed with white vinegar to remove any | | | | then cover them with Vaseline to keep the oil |
| residue. Once dry, spray on a little more oil | | | | in. |
| and spread it with a paper towel or cloth. | | | | |
| Make sure that the soap mixture is well | | | | If one or more of your burners doesn't seem |
| cleaned off. | | | | to generate a flame then it may be because a |
| | | | gas jet has become clogged. |
| If you have ceramic flame-tamers or cooking | | | | |
| grids these should be cleaned with soapy | | | | If you lift the burner out of the barbecue |
| water and a brass wire barbecue brush. Soak | | | | you will see the small brass jets - these are |
| in the soapy water for an hour first. | | | | like a small covered nut with a tiny hole |
| | | | through them. They can be simply removed with |
| The outer casing | | | | a small spanner. If you can't clear the |
| | | | blockage, buy new ones from a barbecue shop. |
| If your barbecue has a stainless-steel outer | | | | |
| casing and trolley, then all it will need is | | | | Reconnect the gas and check all the |
| cleaning. Harsh cleaners and abrasives | | | | connections by coating them with a mix of 50 |
| shouldn't be used on stainless-steel as they | | | | 50 dishwashing liquid and water. If gas is |
| will scratch it - the soapy water and vinegar | | | | leaking you will detect bubbles forming in |
| mix is all that is needed. After cleaning the | | | | the mixture. Try tightening the connections |
| outer casing, it can be buffed with cleaning | | | | or replacing the seals. |
| oil, or even a little baby oil. The oil will | | | | |
| remove watermarks and fingerprints and will | | | | Follow these simple hints and tips and your |
| also make it easier to clean next time. | | | | barbecue will last for years. |
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