Prepare your Gas Grill for the winter
In this blog post, I will show you how to winterize your gas grill in 5 simple steps, which need not more than half an hour of your time. To avoid last-minute shopping trips, you must buy cleaning supplies, which include brushes, detergents, degreasers, pieces of clothing or sponges, plastic bags, a pair of heat resistant gloves, and a cooking oil spray can ahead of time.
Prepare your gas grill for the winter:
- Step 1: Clean your gas grill carefully
- Step 2: Lubricate the inner parts of your gas grill carefully
- Step 3: Turn off all the sources of gas
- Step 4: Scrutinize your gas grill and repair any defected or damaged parts
- Step 5: Cover your gas grill with a water-resistant and weather-resistant cover
You must winterize your gas grill before the first breeze and snowfall for your comfort. Snow is not the only problem associated with winter; along with it comes pests and rust. It is common to have our gas grills attacked by the uninvited and unwelcomed mice, rodents, and moles that are trying to escape the harsh winter.
Excessive rainfall and snowfall in the winter season will rust your metallic gas grill. Winterization of a gas grill is the process of keeping out four unwanted things: i) snow, ii) water, iii) pests including mice, rodents, and moles and iv) rust, which can damage your gas grill beyond repair.
Scroll on to read the detailed step by step guide given below.
Step 1: Clean your gas grill carefully:
The best method to remove the extra food from your gas grill is to use the flames of the fire. You must turn on your gas grill at the full flame for at least 15 minutes, which will burn away the fat, and the bits of leftover food. This will save you a lot of time and effort, which is needed in scrubbing off the sticky and greasy food particles.
One of the easiest methods to thoroughly degrease the grates of your gas grill is to put them inside a big plastic bag, which is commonly used for the collection of garden waste. You must then take a small bottle of ammonia solution and pour it inside the bag, but do not soak the grate. Then you must tightly close the plastic bag to prevent the solution from flowing out; sometimes, a double layer of two plastic bags can make the work more secure.
You must allow the grate to stay inside the plastic bag for 24 to 48 hours. The fumes from the ammonia solution will melt all the grease, fat, and other sticky things off your grate, thus degreasing it without any effort. When you take out the grate of your gas grill from the plastic bag, simply wipe it dry with a clean piece of cloth.
The rule of thumb is always to start scrubbing your grill when it is hot. A cold gas grill is almost impossible to clean thoroughly. For the safety of your skin, it is advisable to use a pair of heat resistant gloves.
For the gas grill that has cast-iron grates, you can use a mild household detergent and degreaser available commercially online and in stores at affordable rates. You must use a wire grill brush but remember to use soft and gentle strokes to prevent any harm to the fragile parts. It is always advisable to dissolve a small quantity of the detergent in a bucket full of warm water.
After scrubbing, you must make sure that you carefully rinse all the parts of the gas grill to remove any residue of the detergent, to prevent it from mixing with your food when you start grilling the next spring season again. You must make sure that you completely air-dry the grates of your gas grill before covering it; otherwise, mildew and mold will grow on it during the chilly months.
And if your gas grill has porcelain grates, then you must not use a wire brush or a metal brush to clean them because they will get cracked if you make use of those brushes. To clean it, you will have to use a nylon grill brush with soft bristles or merely an old toothbrush if you are cost-conscious. You must then remove the lava rocks and the heat deflectors from your gas grill to clean them with a solution of mild household detergent.
You must throw away the old lava rocks and replace them with new lava rocks so that your grill is ready to use the next spring season. Another essential part to clean in a gas grill is the hose that supplies the gas to it. This is again a fragile part, so you must use a soft bristle brush with gentle strokes to wipe it clean.
You must carefully inspect the hose to find out any cracks or holes in it. If you do find some, you must at once replace it with a new one. This will only take a couple of minutes and minimum technical knowledge. Remember that the leakage of gas, even if in a tiny quantity, can cost you a life.
Another essential part to clean is the inner part of the lid of your gas grill, which has thick black layers of carbon deposits on it. To clean the inner part of the lid, use a damp cloth, applying light pressure for a few minutes. If your lid is painted or polished, you must not use abrasive sponges or pads; otherwise, they will create unpleasant scratches on it.
When you are cleaning the outer part of the lid of your gas grill, you must make sure that the cleanser or the detergent that you are using does not cause any corrosion or scratches on it. Remember that the appearance of your gas grill is also as crucial as its function. To find out if the detergent or the cleanser is affecting or harming the paint of the lid, you must test a small section of it before cleaning it thoroughly.
Gas grills usually have a removable drip pan, which collects all the juices from the meat. You must thoroughly clean this by soaking it in the detergent for a few minutes. Finally, you must clean the burners, the burner knobs, handles, and hood cover of your gas grill.
Step 2: Lubricate the inner parts of your gas grill carefully:
Cooking oil has an outstanding property that it deters extra moisture. The Winter season is mostly wet and snowy, and it can damage your metallic gas grill because of rust. You must take a spray can and fill it with cooking oil.
Now carefully and slowly spray all the metallic parts of your gas grill with a thin layer of cooking oil. It will deter the moisture and prevent the rust from harming your gas grill.
Step 3: Turn off all the sources of gas:
Whether you are planning to store your gas grill indoors or leaving it outdoor throughout the chilly months, you must be 100% sure that all the sources of gas are turned off. Gas is flammable, and it can kill you if mishandled.
The heavy blanket of snow will press the pipelines of gas, hardly thus causing them to crack, wear, or leak. Turning the main valve off will also help you save the natural gas, thus keeping your buck.
Step 4: Scrutinize your gas grill and repair any defected or damaged parts:
Winterization is the best chance to repair, replace, and maintain any damaged or broken parts of your gas grill. I would recommend you order new burners from the manufacturer of your gas grill. Remember, all you want is to resume grilling your food without any problems once spring rolls in.
The temperature gauge is also the most fragile part of your gas grill. So you must scrutinize it for timely maintenance or replacement.
Step 5: Cover your gas grill with a water-resistant and weather-resistant cover:
You must spend a few dollars to buy a new water-resistant and weather-resistant cover every year. But if you do want to reuse the old one, make sure that it has no holes. The cover should be strong enough to repel the rodents, moles, and critters from building their nests inside your gas grill.
It is advisable to carry your grill indoors and store it in a shed, garage, or closet.
Whenever there is a heavy storm, there is a great risk that anything heavy like shingles from the roof or branches of trees will hit your grill and cause it to tip over. In such an event, you will lose your gas grill completely, and there will be no chances of using it again for the next spring season. To prevent such from happening, you can rent a small place to store your most precious investment.
Final remarks
To conclude this blog post, I would say that your gas grill is not just a method to cook food, but it is also one of the best ways to create family memories. Winterizing it in a dry and safe place will help you utilize its complete lifespan.
