Start with a mess-free location.
Grilling is a messy affair, but if you place your grill in the right place, you can actually cut your cleaning time in half! If you choose an open, ventilated area sheltered from the wind, you’ll be able to control heat and smoke more easily. (Never grill inside an enclosed area like a garage—it could cause carbon monoxide poisoning.) If you keep the grill away from plants and shrubbery and at least several feet away from the side of the house, you’ll reduce the risk of accidents from flying ashes and embers. To reduce greasy drips, make sure the grill is resting securely on level ground. And place a large sheet of heavy metal underneath the grill or use a patio protector to catch sparks, live embers and dripping fat. (A patio protector is a product that you put under planters to allow drainage.) A generous worktable near your grill helps keep foods and accessories organized. After dark, a good light source directly over the grilling area is essential.
Keep water handy.
Hands get dirty fast, so it’s a must to have an outdoor sink, garden hose, water bottle or bowl of water close at hand. My husband likes to keep a kid’s water pistol nearby. If you don’t have one, clean and save squeezable ketchup bottles and fill them with water. I like to keep some of those instant hand sanitizers close by, as well as disposable wet hand wipes.
Dress for success.
Nothing gets messier faster than the clothes you’re grilling in, but there are ways to save them from stains. Aprons are a must. When I am invited as a guest, I love to make this easy
BBQ apron to give as a gift to the griller (check out the kids’
Messy Hands Apron). When I’m grilling, I forgo sandals and wear closed shoes to protect my feet from hot oil or food drippings. I also tie back my hair to keep it from getting close to the flames and from falling into the food. Thick grill gloves or nonflammable oven mitts or pot holders are essentials. And I keep a pack of
Shout® Wipes handy to remove stains instantly while they are fresh. The wipes are great on mud, food, grease and many other summer stains.
Keep the grate clean.
Health reasons aside, a clean grate helps food taste better. So I clean the grate twice (before grilling and after). The easiest way is to heat the grill to grilling temperature and then scrub with a dry, stiff wire brush. (The heat loosens any burnt-on scraps and sterilizes the grate, and the brush removes the debris.) You should never scrub the metal with soap or abrasive sponges. (For more tips on cleaning gas and propane grills,
click here.) After grilling, burn off any bits of food by returning the grill to high heat and then scrape the grate with a wire brush to remove debris while the heat is still high.
The secret behind nonstick food.
It’s all in the oil. High-grade oil makes your grilled food taste best, whether you are basting the food or the grill. (In general, the best oils to use for the best taste are extra virgin olive oil and dark sesame seed oil.) If using spray oil, spray only on a cool grill. You can also soak a paper towel with oil, squeeze out excess oil into a bowl, clasp the towel between tongs and then rub the towel onto the grates, being careful not to burn the paper towel or yourself. Rubbing bacon or beef fat directly onto foods or onto the grate also imparts extra flavoring. Oiling is optional for fatty cuts like ribs but necessary for fish, chicken breasts and steaks.
The postgrilling aluminum-foil trick.
Don’t throw away the aluminum foil you used while cooking. Crumple some sheets into a wad and rub it like an abrasive scrub over the racks while they are still warm but cool enough to touch. This will help loosen any charred debris. Then wash racks in warm, soapy water.
Catch ashes properly.
To avoid fires, never discard hot ashes in paper bags or in a plastic trash bin. In fact, you should always wait until ashes are stone cold before transferring them safely to the trash. (I usually wait until the day after grilling.) It’s a great idea to invest in a grill with an ash catcher, a saucepan-shaped metal receptacle attached to the bottom, which catches the ashes accumulating as the charcoal burns out. To empty, follow the instructions in your grill’s manual.
Empty the drip pan carefully.
You will have to wait a couple of hours after grilling, but always let a grill and drip pan cool completely before discarding the fat. (If you wait significantly more than a couple of hours, the fat will solidify and make the pan difficult to clean.) Then, and only then, remove the grate and carefully lift out the drip pan. I like to drain the fat straight into an empty milk container and then discard it in a sturdy plastic garbage bag. On gas grills, the catch pan, positioned under the firebox, should be emptied only after the grill has cooled.
Multiple uses for plastic containers.
Plastic garbage bins are a griller’s best friend. Use new plastic garbage bins with tight-fitting lids to store charcoal, wood chips and all your barbecue accessories. Fill a new, clean plastic garbage bin with ice and use it as an outdoor cooler for large quantities of meat. Label other bins with signs that read “Cans” or “Paper” or “Plastic” and use as recycling receptacles. Even small containers are great barbecue aids. I use one set of
Ziploc® Brand Containers with the Smart Snap® Seal (large size rectangle) to carry utensils to the patio table, and another set to transfer foods from the refrigerator to the grill. After the barbecue, I store leftovers in clean
Ziploc® Brand Containers. And I always have a lot of extra clean ones on hand in case my guests want leftovers. (Always remember: never place cooked food in containers that were previously used to hold uncooked foods.)
One-step patio cleanups.
Now’s the time to make sure your outdoor patio furniture is ready for guests. Clean off encrusted grime and dust with
fantastik® All Purpose Cleaner with Bleach, which also works great on counters, cabinets, bathrooms, refrigerators and even garden tools. And make sure you have this all-purpose cleaner and paper towels handy for cleanups after the party!