How to Clean a Gas Grill the Right Way

Cleaning a gas grill ensures that one of the most loved rituals of summer—friends and family indoor grills gathering together in the backyard to enjoy hot-weather fun and feast on succulent delicacies—goes on. If the gas grill hasn’t been cleaned in a while, those fire-roasted treats might leave a lot to be desired. Accumulated residue can make food stick to the grates, contribute to flare-ups, and even lead to grease fires.

For the most delicious—and safest—cookouts, it’s a good idea to perform a thorough cleaning once or twice a year, either in preparation for the grilling season or before you store the grill for the winter. By following the simple steps outlined below, you’ll learn how to clean a gas grill and help extend its life to ensure plenty of summers’ worth of tasty meals.

Step 1: Fill two large basins with soapy water.
Crouched in front of a gas grill, a woman pours baking soda into a a large plastic basin filled with soapy water.

If your gas grill hasn’t had a good cleaning in a while, start by filling two large buckets or basins with warm, soapy water. Dish detergent is your best bet here because it works well on metal, but you can add some baking soda for extra cleaning action.

Unlike with charcoal grills or charcoal kamado grills, it’s important to consider safety and protection of gas connections when learning how to clean a propane grill. Before cleaning the grill, make sure the valve on the propane tank is closed.

Though this should go without saying, cleaning a gas grill is a task to accomplish only when it’s completely cool to the touch and, ideally, hasn’t been used that day. (You’ll have a tough time flipping all those burgers and vegetables later on if your hands are covered with second-degree burns!)

Step 2: Remove the grill grates and and soak them in the soapy water.
Woman wearing rubber gloves soaks a grill grate in a basin of soapy water, outdoors in front of a gas grill.
Remove the grates and submerge them in the water, letting them soak for about an hour. Also, take off any other removable parts, such as the drip pan and heat shields, and set them aside for now.

Step 3: Scrub away loose ash and debris from the grill’s interior.
Woman wearing rubber gloves uses a scrub brush to scrub metal interior of gas grill.
Taking care not to jostle any of the gas grill’s connections to the propane tank, use a rag to clear out loose ash and debris from the inside of the grill. Then, go back over your work with a wire-bristle brush to scrub off any caked-on char, grease, and other residue. Remove as much of this as possible from the grill’s interior.

Step 4: Wash removable grill parts, like heat shields, in soapy water.
Woman washes grill parts in soapy water in a 5-gallon bucket.
Most gas grills have heat shields or deflectors to help distribute heat within the grill. Try a degreaser for grills to scrub off any residue, carefully following package directions. Clean ceramic briquettes with a wire brush and wipe them clean; avoid spraying degreaser on the ceramic briquettes.

Lava rocks are too porous to clean, and you might find it easier to replace them with ceramic briquettes to keep your grill fresh. Dump debris from the grill’s drip tray and clean it with soap and water.

Step 5: Use a brush to scrub away greasy residue on the grates.
Woman wearing rubber gloves crouches over a plastic bin filled with soapy water, scrubbing grease off a grill grate.
Go back to the grates you’ve been soaking in the warm, soapy water. The gunk should have started to loosen and fall away, but you’ll probably have to put in some elbow grease to get the grates clean. You may need to use a combination of rags and brushes to remove the greasy residue.

Wire brushes work best on metal, but they can scratch porcelain grill grates. Avoid using a metal brush and choose a nylon brush for cleaning porcelain and stainless steel grates.

When considering gas vs. charcoal grills, you might think gas grills take more work, but you don’t have to dump ashes regularly—a dirty job at best. With concentrated effort at cleaning the gas grill, you eventually will get the results you want. When you’ve finished, allow everything to dry completely.