We all want our valuables to last as long as they can. Our computers, phones, cars and prized barbecues are no different from each other. But with something that’s exposed to the elements like a barbecue is, you might wonder what’s the best way to keep it well maintained and protected. Read on to find out more.
BBQ Covers
If you have one of those big high-quality stainless-steel barbecues, it should be pretty resistant to winter elements like the cold, rain and snow. But adding a bbq cover won’t hurt, especially if you can find a cover perfect for your specific model.
Though your high-end barbecue is built to stand up to these harsh elements along with the quartz fireplace, doing what you can to protect it and keep it in pristine condition will give you peace of mind. After all, you probably paid a pretty penny for it.
For cheaper, lower end barbecues a cover is highly recommended. It’ll keep it going stronger for longer and prevent the nasty surprise of going to use the barbecue next summer and finding out it’s on its last legs.
If you leave a smaller barbecue outside, make sure (if possible) to store it somewhere it’s not likely to be blown over and damaged by strong winds as well.
Bring it In
Okay, so you probably can’t bring in your big stainless steel one – and you shouldn’t have to, combining its already high resistance with a cover will do the job. But for the lower end (and usually smaller) barbecues you could bring it inside as an alternative to getting a cover.
You don’t need to bring it in the house, your garage or shed will do the trick. Just make sure there are no leaks as this will allow mould to spread and potentially damage your barbecue. Wherever you put it, make sure you keep it out of direct sunlight, as the warmth and humidity can also encourage mould.
Whether you’re planning on using a cover or storing it inside, the first step you need to take before you do so is giving it a good once over and cleaning it up.
Maintenance
Before covering or storing it away, you’ll want to give your barbecue some proper maintenance. Doing this in combination with protecting it will ensure no disappointment in its function when you bring it back out in the summer months.
Why do this? You may be tempted to just cover it up and forget about it, but maintaining and cleaning your barbecue before you store it has many benefits. The leftover bits of food and grease will attract rats and mice looking for scraps and warmth in the winter.
The last thing you want is to open up your barbecue in summer to dead rodent remains on the grill, the image might put you off barbecues for the rest of summer! If this happens don’t worry, you can still clean it afterwards, but prevention is always much easier and might save you from a traumatic experience.
Here’s the best way to clean your barbecue.
Give Your Barbecue a Baptism of Fire
One first step that will help greatly is to actually fire up your barbecue one last time, not to cook anything, but to burn off the excess build up of food residue from its last few uses. Leave it on a high heat for 20 minutes to singe off this build up and it will make it much easier to clean, loosening up the charred remains so you can scrape them off with less effort.
Cleaning
With all the remains burnt off as much as possible (and the barbecue cooled down to a warm temperature) it’s time to get scrubbing. Remove the grates and use a wire bristle grill brush with soapy warm water. Let it cool down and then rinse thoroughly to get rid of soapy residue.
You can then leave it to dry off. This is especially important if you plan to use a cover as you don’t want to trap any moisture inside.
Ready for Summer
And there you have it, your barbecue will be clean, protected and in perfect condition to use when summer hits set the refrigerator at right temperature to enjoy with chilled soda.
