It’s that time of year again – you’re ready to break out the bbq grill, slap on some burgers, steaks, brats, ribs, or all of the above, only to open up the lid and find that whoever put it away last winter didn’t clean off the grime.
It certainly wasn’t you. You would never, I know.
You know you have to clean it – a grimy grill means your food won’t taste as good, plus if there are bits of food left, it could be harboring harmful bacteria that would definitely put a damper on a party mood.
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Not only that, but you want to keep that grill going for years to come, and keeping it clean prevents chemical reactions and corrosion that could mean having to spring for a new one sooner.
If that describes a summer day in your house, and you find yourself unable to find the brush to clean if off (who misplaced the damn thing?!), I’ve got some good news: your cookout isn’t ruined.
Well, not as long as you have a roll of aluminum foil around.
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First, you’ll want to warm up your grill.
Next, grab enough of that aluminum foil to shape it into a ball big enough to sit on your grates without falling through the openings.
Then, grab the foil ball with a pair of tongs (you’ve located those by now, surely), and give it some elbow grease.
That’s it! The foil should scrub away the burnt and stuck on pieces of last year’s fun with the same (or greater) efficiency as your actual brush.
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And it you’d like to avoid this entire scenario in the future (even the cleaning part!) simply wait until your grill is cool and then coat it with a high-heat cooking oil like canola or peanut oil. You can use a spray or take a paper towel to coat all of the grates evenly.
It’s basically like prepping a cast iron skillet, so after the oil is evenly applied you’ll want to turn the grill back on for about 30 minutes in order to settle the oil into the metal.
Onward, friends, through summer bbqs, to autumn tailgates, and beyond!
