One of the best feelings in the world is the sun’s rays shining down on your lawn, making it known that it’s time to pull out the braai and fire up the coals. Gathering around the delicious food that comes off a braai and socialising with your loved ones makes for an enjoyable day, but if you want your braai to keep cooking delicious food in the future, someone needs to know how to clean it. If that person is you, read on to find out about the easiest way to clean a braai grid.
You may be wondering if you need a special braai cleaner to get rust off your braai grid while removing any other grime and grease in the process. That’s completely up to you. Head to the shops to buy a special braai grid cleaner or use one of the homemade solutions our expert team has given below. Before finding out how to restore your braai grid, let’s look at some cleaning tips.
Braai Grid Cleaning Tips
Use the following tips to get the most out of your braai and have it cooking the most delicious food every time:
- Clean your braai grid after every use to keep it in the best condition possible. If you don’t clean it, the grease and food that sticks to it will harden and become more difficult to get off when you do eventually clean it.
- Make sure to follow your braai manufacturer’s instructions or suggestions when choosing a cleaning product and method.
- Let your braai cool down as much as possible before cleaning it.
- For a thorough deep clean, use a stiff wire brush. This will do the best job at removing tough grease and grime to restore your braai grid to a clean state.
- After cleaning your braai grid, rub a layer of vegetable oil onto it to prevent it from rusting.
- Cut an onion or lemon in half and rub it on the grid to freshen it up before braaing.
4 Ways To Clean A Braai Grid
With the right tools on hand and knowledge in mind, you’ll have a clean braai ready to cook up the most delicious food. Use one of the following cleaning methods:
1. Heat & Scrub
This first method doesn’t require many tools, just the heat from coals and a scrubbing brush. Follow these cleaning steps:
- Get some charcoal and firelighters in place, ready to be lit. Set the coals alight and put your braai grid in place.
- Put the lid on and leave it for 20-30 minutes. This time will allow the heat to melt away food and grease particles.
- Remove the grid and wait for it to cool down before scrubbing it thoroughly with a wire brush.
- Rinse it off and allow it to dry before applying a layer of vegetable oil to prevent rusting
2. Newspaper
All you will need for this method is some heat and your Sunday newspaper. Use the following cleaning steps:
- Put some charcoal and firelighters in your braai and light them up. Put your braai grid in place.
- Let the grid heat up for a short while until it’s warm and not scorching hot.
- Once the grid has reached a suitable temperature, use some newspaper to scrub it.
Tip: This is a great method to use as a quick fix before braaing. Once you’ve scrubbed the grid, you can continue to heat it up and proceed with your braai routine.
3. Bicarb And Vinegar Paste
The following two methods will provide a deeper clean and remove more grease and grime from your grid. Use these cleaning steps to clean with a paste:
- Form a cleaning paste by mixing bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Combine the ingredients so that the paste is not too thick and easily spreadable.
- Preheat your grid on the braai and apply the paste to it once a warm temperature is reached.
- Remove the grid from the heat and let it stand for 30 minutes. This will allow the paste to break down the food particles.
- Scrub the grid with a wire brush if it has any stubborn food particles stuck to it.
- Rinse the grid and dry it before applying a layer of vegetable oil to avoid rusting.
4. Dishwashing Liquid And Vinegar
This method also involves the use of vinegar, but this time in combination with dishwashing liquid. Use the following cleaning steps:
- Fill a bathtub or container that’s big enough to fit the grid in with hot water. Add a few squirts of dishwashing liquid and white vinegar.
- Place the grid in the mixture and allow it to soak for 20-30 minutes.
- Use a wire brush to scrub the grid thoroughly.
- Rinse the grid and dry it before applying a layer of vegetable oil to avoid rusting.
By using either one of these cleaning methods, your braai grid will be ready to serve up the best food every time it’s an ideal day to light up the coals. Before the day arrives, hire a SweepStar to provide an expert gardening service so that the rest of your outdoor space in your home is ready to be used for entertainment.