Keeping your grill clean is very important in the pastime of the backyard BBQ. Every great meal prepared in your home’s kitchen involves cleaning the tools you used when you made that delicious dinner. You clean the pots, pans, spatula, bowls, cutting board, knives, etc. If you spilled anything on your stove, you’ll clean it up as soon as everything cools down because you know how difficult it’ll be to clean it the next day when the food dries out and sticks. For some reason, the typical person who uses a grill doesn’t have the same mindset. They typically only brush the grates every now and then, paying zero attention to what’s under those grates. Because of this, I’ve decided to compile a list of the reasons you should keep your grill cleaned to best enjoy the food you cook on your grill.
1) Remove the build-up of harmful carcinogens:
Even if you brush your grates every time you use the grill, harmful carcinogens can still build up on the grates over time. These carcinogens will be transferred to your food when you’re cooking and can pose considerable health risks to you and your family. The best way to remove these carcinogens is to thoroughly clean your grates at least twice a year. Depending on use, it may be necessary to clean more often.
2) A dirty grill can attract pests
What better place is there for pests to call home than a dark, secluded place that has endless food and plenty of room to build their nest. A grill is a perfect place for mice, rats and even squirrels. Not only is this a health risk but, let’s face it, the thought of cooking their droppings along with your favorite steak is just disgusting. Also, the materials that these pests use to build their nests are very flammable and will catch on fire. If you have any grease at the bottom of your grill, your grill could also catch fire. Keeping your grill clean will decrease the odds that these pests will take up residence in the same place you cook.
3) Preventing the spread of bacteria that can contaminate your food
Depending on which ‘expert’ you listen to, they’ll tell you to preheat your grill anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes to kill off any harmful bacteria or mold that has built-up on your grill since the last time you’ve used it. Makes sense, right? Well, the true answer is that, yes, this will likely kill off any bacteria that resides on the grates but does nothing about any bacteria or mold that is growing in the bottom of your grill. Think about all of the charred pieces of meat, grease and fat that have fallen to the bottom of the grill. This is what bacteria and mold need to grow, right? Because they are below the flames of your grill’s burners, heating up your grill is only warming up that bacteria and mold which only allow it to more easily permeate into your food. Not to mention, if you have any pest droppings that will also be heated up. Sounds unappetizing, doesn’t it?
4) Increase the longevity of your grill
Whether you spent $500 or $5000 on your grill, you want it to last. Gone are the days of buying $150 grills, using them for a couple years until they get so dirty you can’t use them anymore and throwing them away only to buy another $150 grill. Your grill is an investment that you want to last! Like anything else that you expect to last, your grill requires routine maintenance. From cleaning it to the regular inspection of the parts inside of the grill, if you want your grill to last, you need to take care of it. Removing the food particles, grease and sauces is the only way to insure that your grill will last years longer.
5) Excess grease can cause fires
If you’re a grilling veteran, you know that flare-ups happen. That juicy burger, as it’s cooking and dripping all that burned off fat to the burners below, will create a flare-up every so often. If you’re not careful, your grill will catch on fire. It’s expected that the occasional flare-up will happen because of the fat and grease that are produced when you cook fatty foods. What nobody expects is a full-fledged grease fire that can happen when that flare-up ignites the fat and grease that are collecting at the bottom of your grill. The only way to prevent this is to make sure the flare-up has nothing to ignite by keeping your grill clean.
