Shut the grill down
Put on heat-resistant oven mitts first, making sure they are sufficiently heat-resistant to keep you from being exposed to high temperatures.
Close the grill’s lid slowly after removing the rack. Make sure the vents on your grill are closed as well. This makes sure that no oxygen-entry points remain open and stops any further airflow from stoking the flames.
I advise leaving the grill closed for up to 48 hours because coals can always take a very long time to cool down and it’s not always obvious if they’re still burning or not. Even if it might not take this long to extinguish, it is crucial to be assured.
Read more: How to turn off charcoal grill
Remove ashes and charcoal
Now that you have removed the ashes and charcoal, it’s time to clean the grill. If your grill has a large surface area, we recommend using a metal brush (for example, a wire brush or steel wool) to clean it. Start from one side of the grate and sweep over to the other side in long strokes. Repeat this process until all areas are thoroughly cleaned.
If your grill has a small surface area like an indoor grill pan or portable gas grill, use a metal brush on small areas at once instead of sweeping across from one side to another. This will allow for more efficient cleaning as well as prevent any damage caused by moving too quickly across such a small surface area with too much pressure applied between strokes.
Avoid water
I don’t want to stress this, but using a charcoal grill can be risky in any situation. I strongly advise against drenching your grill with water while it is still hot in any way.
Even if it takes 48 hours, always hold off until it has completely cooled down. Dousing coals with water can result in cracks in your barbecue since coals burn at extremely high temperatures. Pouring water straight onto coals can also result in dangerous steam buildup and hot ash fallout, which can lead to painful burns.
Clean the grill out
You can sweep the remaining ashes from the grill once the larger mess has been removed. Prepare to scrub by grabbing a water bottle and your grill brush.
Although using soap is not required, it can be a good idea to do so if it has been a while since your grill was fully cleaned. With the grill brush removed, scrape the grate clean while squeezing any stuck-on food or debris loose with water as necessary.
Use the brush to scrub the grill’s remaining surface, being cautious to clean thoroughly around the vents because buildup could prevent proper ventilation for the next time you’re grilling.
After cleaning the grill if you used soap, give it a good rinse. You can now allow it to dry!
If you’ll be using the grill again soon, throw the rescued charcoal into the grill once it has dried. so they are prepared for when the grill is turned on again.
