Outdoor Gas Grill Clean Up
It’s that time of the year and as we all know, everything tastes better when it’s cooked outdoors. If your grill is looking shabby after last season, rather than replace it you can spruce it up and bring on the burgers.
MATERIALS: You will need a wire brush, shop vacuum, denatured alcohol, masking tape, high-temperature resistant spray paint, new parts, if needed (may include new grill, new burners, etc., available at supplier that carries your model grill)
Before you begin, pull out the old grill and take it apart. Determine what you can save and what you need to replace. Remove grills, ceramic briquettes, the grate under the briquettes and the burners under the grate. Check the ignition switch to see if it needs to be replaced as well.
STEP ONE: Scrape
The inside walls of a grill can be caked with years of baked-on gunk. Use your putty knife to scrap the sides and the shop-vac to quickly catch the loose debris.
STEP TWO: Scrub
Just a little more elbow grease and you’re done with the prep work: using a wire brush, scrub the outside of the grill to remove any rust that has formed there.
STEP THREE: Swipe
Because grills are greasy, use denature alcohol to wipe down outside surfaces before painting.
STEP FOUR: The Beauty Treatment
Using your special high-temperature paint, spray the outside of the grill using long, overlapping strokes. Stop at the end of each stroke and lift your finger off the button to stop the spray. This will prevent drips from forming at the edges of the grill.
STEP FIVE: Beautiful on the Inside, Too
Replace the burners, briquettes and grills, either new or freshly cleaned. If you are replacing the burners, just slip the end over the valve and push the igniter wires onto the terminals at the igniter button.
Timesaving Tip: Before painting, thoroughly cover any areas you do not want to paint–like the burner switches–with masking tapes.
