Over time, the performance of your grill can diminish if it has not been properly maintained. Low temperatures, uneven heat and food sticking to cooking grates are all signs that cleaning and maintenance are overdue. When your grill is off and cool, start by cleaning the inside, from the top down. A thorough cleaning is recommended at least twice a year as a minimum. Consistent use may warrant more frequent cleanings.
Cleaning the Lid
From time to time you may notice “paint-like” flakes on the inside of the lid. During use, grease and smoke vapors slowly change into carbon and deposit on the inside of your lid. This deposit will eventually peel, and looks very similar to paint. These deposits are non-toxic, but the flakes could fall onto your food if you do not clean the lid regularly.
Brush the carbonized grease from the inside of the lid with a stainless steel bristle grill brush. To minimize further build-up, the inside of the lid can be wiped with a paper towel after grilling while the grill is still warm (not hot).
Cleaning the Cooking Grates
If you have been cleaning your cooking grates as recommended, the debris on your grates should be minimal.
With grates installed, brush the debris off your cooking grate with a stainless steel bristle grill brush. Take the grates out and set aside. We recommend our Q and Grate cleaner for stainless steel, enamel and cast iron grates, and also for flavorizer bars.
Cleaning the Flavorizer™ Bars
Flavorizer™ bars catch drippings that smoke and sizzle, adding flavor to your food. Any drippings that are not vaporized by the Flavorizer™ bars are funneled away from the burners. This helps prevent flare-ups inside of your grill, and protects the burners from getting clogged.
- Scrape the Flavorizer™ bars with a plastic scraper.
- If necessary, brush the Flavorizer™ bars with a stainless steel bristle grill brush.
- Remove Flavorizer™ bars and set aside.
Cleaning the Burners
Two areas on the burners that are key to optimum performance are the ports (small raised openings running along the length of the burners) and the spider/insect screens on the ends of the burner. Keeping these areas clean is essential for safe operation.
CLEANING THE BURNER PORTS
- Use a clean stainless steel bristle grill brush to clean the outside of the burners by brushing across the top of the burner ports.
- When cleaning the burners, avoid damaging the igniter electrode by carefully brushing around it.
CLEANING THE SPIDER SCREENS
- Locate the ends of the burners on the underside of the control panel where they meet the valves.
- Clean the spider/insect screens on each of the burners using a soft bristle brush.
CLEANING THE HEAT DEFLECTORS
Located under the burners, the heat deflectors distribute heat evenly throughout the cookbox while cooking. Keeping heat deflectors clean will enhance the cooking performance of your grill.
- Scrape the heat deflectors with a plastic scraper.
- If necessary, brush the heat deflectors with a stainless steel bristle grill brush.
- Remove heat deflectors and set aside.
Cleaning the Cookbox
Look inside the cookbox for any grease accumulation or leftover food particles. Excessive accumulation can cause a fire. Use a plastic scraper to scrape debris off the sides and bottom of the grill into the opening in bottom of the cookbox. This opening leads debris into the slide-out grease tray.
Cleaning the Grease Management System
The grease management system consists of an angled slide-out grease tray and a catch pan. These components are designed to be easily removed, cleaned and replaced; an essential step every time you prepare to grill.
Cleaning the Outside of Your Grill
The outside of your grill may include stainless steel, porcelain-enameled, and plastic surfaces. Weber recommends the following methods based on the surface type.
CLEANING STAINLESS STEEL SURFACES
Clean stainless steel using a non-toxic, non-abrasive stainless steel cleaner or polish designed for use on outdoor products and grills. Use a microfiber cloth to clean in the direction of the grain of the stainless steel. Do not use paper towels.
Note: Do not risk scratching your stainless steel with abrasive pastes. Pastes do not clean or polish. They will change the color of the metal by removing the top chromium oxide film coating.
CLEANING PORCELAIN-ENAMELED SURFACES
Clean painted, porcelain-enameled and plastic components with Weber Enamel Cleaner and a soft cloth. After wiping down the surfaces, rinse and dry thoroughly.
CLEANING THE OUTSIDE OF GRILLS THAT ARE IN UNIQUE ENVIRONMENTS
If your grill is subject to a particularly harsh environment, you will want to clean the external surfaces more often. Acid rain, swimming pool chemicals, and salt water can cause surface rusting to appear. Wipe down the outside of your grill with warm soapy water. Follow up with a rinse and thorough drying. Additionally, you may want to apply a stainless steel cleaner weekly to prevent surface rust.