How to Deep Clean Your Gas, Charcoal, or Pellet Grill

Winter is on its way out, and that means it’s time to get your grill ready for another season of backyard cooking. Whether your grill has been sitting under a cover or braving the elements all winter, it needs a deep clean before you fire it up. Built-up grease, leftover ash, and clogged burners can mess with performance—not to mention leave last year’s flavors lingering on this year’s food. 

Let’s break it down step by step. 

No matter what kind of grill you have, a little routine maintenance goes a long way. 

• Brush the Grill Grates Before Every Cook – I like to preheat my grill on high for about 15 minutes before I brush my grill grates. Heat helps carbonize stuck-on food, making it easier to clean. 

• Deep Clean Every Few Months – Grease and carbon build up over time, so aim to do a full clean at least every three months to keep things running smoothly. But if you’re grilling every week, you’ll need to deap clean more often. 

• Use a Cover – A high-quality grill cover is the easiest way to keep dust, moisture, and rust from creeping in when you’re not grilling. 

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Gas grills make it easy to fire up a quick meal, but they can also collect a surprising amount of grease and debris. A clean grill heats more evenly, burns more efficiently, and won’t leave old, burnt flavors on your food.

• Grill brush 

• Scraper 

• Scouring pads 

• Grill grate cleaner 

• Dish soap and warm water 

• Sponge or cloth 

• Exterior grill cleaner and/or stainless-steel cleaner 

• Cleaner for stubborn stains 

• Old toothbrush 

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1. Turn Off & Cool Down – Make sure the grill is off and disconnect the propane tank. Safety first. 

2. Brush the Lid – The inside of the lid collects carbonized grease that can flake off over time. Don’t worry, it’s not flaking paint. Just give it a quick scrape to keep those flakes from dropping onto your food. 

3. Scrub the Grates – If you’ve got a lot of stuck on food, you can either use a grill grate cleaner or soak them in soapy water to help loosen things up. 

4. Clean the Flavorizer Bars & Burner Tubes – Use a stiff bristle brush to clean your Flavorizer Bars. Then brush the burner tubes to make sure no grease or debris is clogging the ports 

5. Scrape the Cook Box – Use a scraper to push any leftover gunk into the grease tray. 

6. Empty & Wipe the Grease Tray – A full grease tray can lead to flare-ups, so I always check this before grilling. But when I’m deep cleaning, I like to take the time to really make sure it’s clean. 

7. Check the spider guard, regulator hose, and batteries – This is probably something most people forget to do, but it’s always good to give them a good clean at the beginning of the season. 

8. Wipe Down the Exterior – You can use an exterior grill cleaner, or stainless-steel cleaner to keep the lid and side tables looking fresh. If you don’t have those, some dish soap and a sponge will work, just make sure you rinse it off really well. 

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Charcoal grills deliver unbeatable flavor, but they need regular cleaning to keep airflow steady and heat consistent. If you let ashes pile up, they can absorb moisture and create a sticky mess that affects performance. 

• Grill brush 

• Scraper 

• Exterior grill cleaner 

• Dish soap and warm water 

• Sponge or cloth 

• Toothbrush 

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1. Brush the Lid – Carbonized grease buildup can flake off into your food, so it’s worth taking a minute to brush it away. 

2. Clean the Grates – A quick brush before and after grilling keeps things from getting out of hand. If they’re really bad, use grill grate cleaner and heavy-duty scrubber. 

3. Scrape the Interior – Push any ash or grease into the ash catcher. 

4. Remove Ashes – Ash buildup can block airflow, which means your coals won’t burn as hot. If you have a Weber One-Touch system, just rotate the handle to sweep the ash into the catcher. Then dump everything out. 

5. Wipe Down the Exterior – Use an exterior grill cleaner if you have it. Otherwise, a damp cloth with mild soap works fine. 

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Pellet grills are all about precision, but that precision relies on good airflow and a clean burn. Ash buildup in the fire pot, grease collecting in the cook box, or even a clogged auger can throw off performance. 

• Grill brush 

• Scraper 

• Grill grate cleaner 

• Scouring pads 

• Exterior grill cleaner 

• Cleaner for stubborn stains 

• Dish soap and warm water 

• Sponge or cloth 

[Shop Cleaning Supplies]

1. Power Down & Cool Off – Always unplug your pellet grill and let it cool completely before cleaning. Seems obvious, but people can surprise you. 

2. Brush the Lid – Just like a gas or charcoal grill, the inside of the lid collects carbonized grease over time that can flake off, so give it a quick scrape to clean it off. 

3. Clean the Grates – Make sure the grates are nice and clean. If they need it, use grill grate cleaner and heavy-duty scrubber. 

4. Brush the Flavorizer Bars and Heat Deflectors – Scrape off grease and buildup to keep smoke clean and heat even. 

5. Scrape Down the Sides – Use the scraper that comes with the grill to scrape down the sidewalls of the grill. 

6. Empty Out the Diffuser – Make sure there's no ash buildup inside the diffuser. 

7. Empty the Ash Drawer – You don’t need a shop vac—just pull out the drawer and dump the ash. 

8. Check the Pellets – If it’s been a long time since you’ve fired up your grill, you may want to dump out your pellets, and check that the pellets in the auger are still okay. 

We’ve got a video that shows you how. 

9. Clean the outside – Once again, use an exterior grill cleaner if you have it. Otherwise, a damp cloth with mild soap works fine. Just be sure to go back over it with a clean, damp cloth. 

10. Reassemble & Power Up – Once everything is dry, put it back together and get grilling. 

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• Clean the Grates Every Time You Grill – And make sure to replace your grill brush at least once a season. 

• Check the Grease or Ash Tray – A full tray can lead to flare-ups or restricted airflow. 

• Deep Clean When Cool – Take your time with a full cleaning when the grill has cooled completely. 

A little routine maintenance now makes grilling easier all season long. Take care of your grill, and it’ll take care of you.