Recommended Scrubbing Product for Cleaning Grates


 
Don Fry

Don Fry

TVWBB Super Fan
I know most of you probably have your own favorite products and methods for cleaning grates on your WSM, but I would strongly recommend giving Chore Boy golden fleece scouring cloths a try. My wife does stained glass art and she bought them for her use but did not like them for that application so she gave them to me for the smoker. I tried them today for the first time with just hot soapy water and I gotta tell you I was impressed. They have the sort of a cross between a greed scratch pad and a dish cloth. The cloth-like feel allows it to get in places that are tough to get at with most other scouring products. She bought them for about $1.50 for a package of two at Ingles.
 
I'm sure those Chore-Boys are fantastic, but I recommend a propane weed burner. Frightening to some pets, some women and small children, but effective. You can burn off both cooking grates and two rib racks at once, in about two minutes. Nothing left but ash. Get one with the push-button piezoelectric ignition. Amazon, Harbor Freight, Northern Tool, and such like are your best bets. Local hardware stores may be overpriced.

BTW, your grates won't be shiny any more, just clean.

D
 
Ever try the dishwasher?
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That's the only 'product' I've been using since finding how effective it is about a year ago .....
 
I've had pretty good success with 100% made in America elbow grease coupled with a basic grill brush. There seems to be an unlimited supply of the grease and the grill brushes are good for at least a year each, if not more.
 
Just used a generic oven cleaner that I got at wal-mart for the first time. I was impressed. Just don't breathe the stuff.
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finished it off with a brillo pad and the elbow grease.
 
I started using a pad called Grillstone a couple of months ago, works great on really baked on residue. I first used it on my Genesis gasser, I had forgotten what the grates originally looked like!
 
Lay off the oven cleaners! I am with Karl on this one. Anything caustic will eventualy kill just about everything in the WSM. I too have put them in the dishwasher but ended up costing me a new filter for it. I have also used a propane torch like David has said and it works well with less work. Any Weber, weather it's gas or charcoal is like a self cleaning oven. You burn them off and brush away the ashes and carbon. Soap and water will take care of the rest.
 
Spray with Pam. After the cook soak them in good ole h2o with some Dawn dish cleaner for an hour. Wipes clean. Sometimes I use greased lightning, but not to much anymore.
 
Something I forgot -- if you burn off your grates, you may find that they will rust. Just brush lightly with a grill brush to get rid of the ash, then spray with cooking spray. Wipe with a paper towel and the grill is clean and protected until the next cook. Total clean-up time, about five minutes.
 
I tried something new this past weekend. Marine Degreaser. Its intended for cleaning grease off the engine, but it instantly mobilized the grease & crud on the grates. I got it 75% clean by just hosing it off. It smelled a lot like the oven cleaners (probably a similar active ingredient).

However, I took it inside to give a wash with water & soap to clear off any of the residuals (it was intended for automotive use, not kitchens / BBQ's).

I had the shiniest grates since they were new.
 
You guys do a lot more than I do.

I just scrape the grates while hot with a grille brush, spray em with pam, put the lid on until next time.

Same routine with the offset and other cookers as well. I'll keep my truck shiny instead.
 
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