Best grill cleaner?

With all the BBQ cleaners out there, is there any one good cleaning product that does a decent job on the interior/exterior cooking box/enamel lid? I’m refurbing a Silver B and really don’t have the time to blast or use a drill/wire brush. Too many choices with all mediocre reviews.
Thanks-

T Lucas,

Hey, welcome to the forum! I suppose the mediocre (or at least inconsistent) reviews you mention reflect the fact that there isn't really a magic bullet.

In my opinion, for the porcelain hood (and control panel on your Silver B) the safest and most reliable method is Simple Green and 0000 steel wool. Most of us agree this combination is pretty hard to beat. I know you don't want to get involved with grinding, but a razor blade scraper can do wonders on the inside of a porcelain grill - gas or kettle.

When it comes to the firebox interior and other really grimy parts, opinions go in a lot of ways. My personal choice at this point is Sam's Club Oven & Grill Cleaner. It is a bargain compared to the high powered Dawn equivalent, and objective tests done fellow member Dave in KC showed no notable difference in performance. Your results will depend a lot on how burned on the stuff is that you are working on. Some have had near miraculous results, but others have had the heavily burned on stuff not respond to this alkali chemical. Make no mistake, it is strong. Use gloves and be careful. I burned my legs pretty well by allowing it to soak into my jeans while I was cleaning some parts.

After these two, it is all over the place. I have had good results with Barkeeper's Friend on stainless steel if used with a non-metal scrubber IN THE DIRECTION OF THE GRAIN. Others think it is a joke. I have also occasionally had good results with Easy Off or equivalent. Be careful, though, of those very bad and unsafe fumes! White vinegar is another choice for stainless. And the list goes on. Let's see what others pitch in...

I agree with you Jon. Simple Green and 0000 steel wool works great for the exterior. On enamel and SS. For the interior of lids I can recommend razor blade scrapers and steel wool. However I have mixed experience with the Sams Club cleaner. It works great with grease that is not too baked in but it did not work very well for me on years or decades old carbon buildup. For this only mechanical removal works. If you want to clean the firebox down to bare metal you need to use a wire brush on a grinder. I have no experience with blasting however.

Stefan H said:

I agree with you Jon. Simple Green and 0000 steel wool works great for the exterior. On enamel and SS. For the interior of lids I can recommend razor blade scrapers and steel wool. However I have mixed experience with the Sams Club cleaner. It works great with grease that is not too baked in but it did not work very well for me on years or decades old carbon buildup. For this only mechanical removal works. If you want to clean the firebox down to bare metal you need to use a wire brush on a grinder. I have no experience with blasting however.

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Well said, Stefan. That is the way it is from everyone on here's experiences. An adequate sized media blaster is a dream machine without a doubt. But for most of us, a Harbor Freight grinder or two is the much more affordable option. As you say, there is sometimes no other way but mechanical removal, at least depending on the results you are aiming for.

Yep, if you just need a "cleaned out fire box" then the various cleaners listed above will work in varying situations. But if you want clean down to the shiny bare aluminium, you are going to want an angle grinder and wire cup brush or media blasting outfit. Sometimes you need to strip the paint on the outside of the lid end caps or cook box and that requires the angle grinder and cup brush or media blasting as well.

I have been using the angle grinder and wire cup brush for my rehab/flip grills but if I am cleaning up a grill for personal use, I would just use a good cleaner and some steel wool and putty knife. You are just going to dirty it up in a cook or two anyway, but the potential buyers love to see that bright clean aluminum inside when they are looking at a used grill to buy.