Regardless of whether you are a newbie or an experienced griller, the occurrence of a grease fire is unexpected and rare. So, what steps should you take if it happens?
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How To Clean A Grill After A Grease Fire?
You can clean it with a mixture of white vinegar and water at a 50-50 ratio. For proper cleaning sessions, ensure to scrub the outside and inside of the grill with the solution. If you use a fire extinguisher, the solution works as a weak acid that can effectively dissolve the sodium bicarbonate residue. And makes it simpler for you to remove it.
The article shares tips and tricks on cleaning a drill after a grease fire. It also covers grease fire prevention and other essential tips.
Cleaning Grill After Grease Fire – Step By Step Guide
Step 1: Put The Grill At A High Temperature
Keep your grill away from other things, then light it on high for at least 45 minutes. It will burn all the grease. Once done, turn off the grill and allow it to cool down.
Step 2. Get The Cleaning Essentials
Get a full bucket filled with hot water, a dish liquid, and a few cleaning rags. If your grill has a hole at the bottom that connects with a disposable tray, scrap all the dry grease and carbon to the tray and throw them away later.
Segregate the parts of your grill that are not bolted to it, such as grates. Separate cleaning would be more suitable.
Here, you can also use distilled white vinegar. Apply the white vinegar on the grates as well as all the places you notice stains.
Use a scraper or scrubbing brush to clean the soot and grease or hardened carbon away. Using vinegar also removes the burning smell from the grill. In the end, rinse the grates with clean water.
Step 3: Clean Charred-Up Mess With Rags
Wet the rag with water and wipe any leftover substance of the grease. Evenly wipe the cooking grate and dry pan.
Step 4: Utilize Degreaser
A degreaser is the last step in cleaning a grill after a grease fire guide, and it is a strong gel that can easily clean any residue or charred mess.
How To Clean The Grill Once You Spray A Fire Extinguisher On It?
Many people use baking soda or fire extinguishers to extinguish the grease fire. It does cool down the fire immediately but leaves the chalky and sticky substance over the cooking grate. Here’s how you can remove it:
- Take out the cooking grates from the grill and put them in a big wash pan. Allow them to soak completely in the soapy water.
- Disassemble other components like firepot, drip pan, heat buffer, etc., from the grill. Scrub the inside portion of the grill using the vinegar and water solution.
- Put the grill under direct sunlight and wash out the grill using a garden hose. It will eradicate the remaining residue.
- Except for cooking grates, place all the components back into the grill.
- Now, thoroughly scrub the grates and rinse properly with water. And let it dry completely before putting it back into the grill.
- Light on the grill for 15 minutes to remove if still, any residue is left.
- Use a grill brush to clean the cooking grates when they cool down.
Methods For Grease Fire Prevention
Before we dive into cleaning procedures, let us see how to prevent it in the first place.
Keep Your Grill Clean
The uncleaned grill is the main reason for the grease fire. When the drip pan present below the cooking grate fills up with oil and grease and its temperature reaches its peak, the risk of grease fire increases. Thus, after cooking any dish, clean your grill every time.
Cooking Grate Scrapping
When the cooking grate is still hot, use the scraper to remove the grease or dried meat. Doing so will prevent occurrences of any flare-ups.
Keep A Stock Of Baking Soda
Baking soda works as a fire extinguisher. It quickly cuts the oxygen supply and enables you to manage any kind of flare-up timely.
How To Keep The Grill At The Right Condition
A thorough cleaning session every 6 months will keep your grill working in good condition;
- Keep checking the fuel lines to see whether they developed any rips, cracks, or holes. If you find any such issue replace the lines. Also, it should not be bent. See if fuel lines have any micro-fissures defects.
- For this, make a sudsy water and soap solution. Brush the solution over the fuel lines using a paintbrush. Brush more of the solution on the fuel lines after turning on the gas. If you see bubble formation, then there’s leakage through the micro fissure. Replace the damaged part.
- Check if there are any punctures, dents, or erosion on the gas tank. Replace if you find any of these.
- Check the ignition system. Turn off the gas, perform an ignition button testing and check whether it’s making any spark. In case there’s a proper spark, the pressure regulators are tracking and maintaining the right pressure. But, in case there’s no spark, check whether the pressure regulator is tightly secured on the tank.
Use the grill lighter to turn on the grill manually. Ensure to keep your arms and face at a distance from burners to avoid any accident. If the grill lights up properly, the ignition switch might be a problem. To solve this, wipe off the provided electrodes to remove any battery acid buildup.
You can read through your user manual to understand how to deal with electrodes and batteries in a suitable way.
- Now, check the fuel level of the tank. Pour some warm water on the side and not on the top of the tank.
- Slide in your hand towards the tank’s wet side. The tank will feel cooler at the place where the fuel starts. After cleaning the cooking grates, ensure to spray optimum vegetable oil to prevent them from getting rusted.
- Examine burner protectors for rust and holes. For this, remove them and scrub using soapy water and a sponge. The cracks in holes or rust will show up. In this scenario, changing the parts on time is the solution. Also, if the holes in the burners get clogged due to the solution, then clear them using paper clips.
- Occasionally clean the venturi tubes, the pipes connect grill control valves to burners. The best and easiest way to do this is by pouring water through it. It will remove any insects or debris trapped inside the pipe.
- Regardless of whether your grill is made of porcelain or stainless steel, choose an appropriate cleaner accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is A Grill Okay To Use After It Catches Grease Fire?
Yes, it is okay to use a grill even after it caught grease fire. However, before using it, make sure you have cleaned it thoroughly. There should be no trace of any kind of charred messes as these can impact your cooking process.
How Long Can You Not Use A Grill After It Catches On Fire?
Though the grill is not damaged permanently after a fire, it is obvious you won’t be able to use it any time soon. However, the time might depend on the type of extinguisher you utilized to put off the fire.
Where Can You Use A Degreaser On Your Grill?
Degreaser is usually the last step taken while cleaning the grill. It is best to use the degreaser on the drip pan and cooking grates to remove the presence of any residue left.
Is It Safe To Eat Food Cooked On A Grill After It Experiences A Grease Fire?
No, it is not considered safe to eat food cooked after a grease fire. It is because grease fire causes toxic chemicals and elements to get into the cooked food. And, if you consume such food, you may get sick. Thus, throwing the food after a grill gets grease fired is recommended.
What Actions Do You Need To Take After A Grill Gets Grease Fired?
The first thing you need to do is reach the knobs to light off the grill burners. However, make sure to do it with safety. Next, remove the food you were cooking and then put off the flare-up by throwing some baking soda on it. However, you can also throw salt, kosher salt, and sand over it. Close the grill vents and lid to prevent oxygen supply to the fire.
Conclusion
Who doesn’t like to enjoy a BBQ together with their close ones on a weekend evening? But, not keeping your grill in a suitable condition can result in unpleasant fire accidents.
So, make sure you consider all the tips and tricks we mentioned above in the guide on how to clean a grill after a grease fire.
A regular maintenance check and deep cleaning sessions in fixed intervals can prevent any issue related to a grease fire.