Watch: How to clean your barbecue

A dirty barbecue not only looks unsightly, but it can harbour nasty bacteria. Dirt can also cause a barbecue to rust and make cooking on it more difficult.

But even though a simple scrub after every use can help avoid these issues, according to research by Karcher, the average Brit has not cleaned their barbecue in more than eight months. 

So with the promise of warmer weather this bank holiday weekend, watch our video above on how to quickly clean your grill using just two cheap everyday products. Or, keep reading for a detailed breakdown of the steps, as well as the best barbecue features to look out for if you want to keep it gleaming all summer long.

See our round-up of the best barbecues, along with expert buying advice and ways to make yours last longer

Five easy steps to cleaning your barbecue

There are lots of barbecue cleaning hacks online, but this is the cheapest and easiest way. Watch the video above or follow these five steps to get your grill sparkling clean.

1. Leave the barbecue with the heat and lid on for 15 minutes after cooking. This will bake the oil deposits into a layer, which will be easier to remove than liquid grease.
2. Once it's cooled down, use a wire brush to scrape off any buildup. If you don't have one, scrunched up aluminium foil is a handy alternative.
3. Spray the grill with vinegar or citric acid, to help break down the grease. 
4. Leave it to work for a couple of minutes, then scrub with the wire brush or aluminium foil. If you've got them to hand, lemon halves also work in the same way – just rub them along the grills and then scrub.
5. Wipe the grills with a lint-free cloth and apply a coating of vegetable oil to stop them from rusting between uses.

Tip: Always check what the manufacturer says about your barbecue first in case there are any cleaning no-nos that could invalidate your guarantee.

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Do I need to clean my barbecue after every use?

You should clean your grills after every use, then give the entire barbecue a deeper clean every three months. 

Not only will it minimise the risk of food poisoning from bacteria such as campylobacter, salmonella, listeria and some types of E. coli, it will also help keep your barbecue and its parts rust-free and in good working order. 

In fact, in 2022, we surveyed 2,682 UK barbecue owners and found that rusting away to the point of being unusable was the most common fault – but one of the most quick and simple ways to avoid rust is to clean yours properly. 

See our guide on how to care for your barbecue for step-by-step instructions

What's the difference between cleaning a gas and charcoal barbecue?

Gas barbecues are less fiddly to clean than charcoal, mainly because there's no ash or coal to dispose of. 

However, if you're using a gas model, don't forget to clean the burners using a wire brush or aluminium foil. You should also use a metal pin or barbecue skewer to unblock individual gas outlets so that they're free of grease buildup and can run as efficiently as possible.

Are you in the market for a new gas or charcoal barbecue? Take a look at all our barbecue reviews to help you choose the right one

Barbecue features that make cleaning easier

There's no such thing as a self-cleaning barbecue (yet), but there are some handy features and accessories that can make tidying up after cooking that little bit easier. 

• Number or size of the grill plates Several smaller removable plates on large barbecues, or a smaller diameter plate on compact models, are more manageable than one big heavy grill when deep cleaning. Some might be so small that you can just chuck them in the sink with your pots and pans.   
• Grill plate material You should avoid cleaning chrome-coated grills with a wire brush because it can damage the surface. Stick with cast iron and stainless steel grills if you want to be able to give them a quick scrub after every use. 
• Adjustable grill height Being able to raise or lower the grill plate to adjust the heat level of a charcoal barbecue should help prevent food burning and sticking to the grills, as well as making washing down much simpler.
• Fat drip trays Collect fat drips to help reduce flare-ups and make cleaning your gas barbecue a lot less messy. 
• Ash collector A removable shelf or tray that collects ash so you can simply pull out the tray after using and throw away the leftovers. 

Once your barbecue's clean and ready to go, see our round-up of advice on how to cook on your barbecue and get grilling