Is there anything worse than heading to the grill, burger patties in hand, and seeing that it isn't clean?!
Well, John Colaneri of HGTV's home improvement duo "The Cousins" has your back!
Whether you're gearing up for your first barbecue of the season or need help tackling some serious midsummer grime, these five tips will help you get your grill BBQ-party-ready in no time.
1. GO INSIDE YOUR GRILL
Take out all the grates and get ready to clean! Grab your brush and scrape down both sides. You want to clean EVERYTHING on the inside.
(Here's how master butcher Ray Venezia cleans his grill!)
RELATED: How to Clean a Dirty Baking Sheet with Aluminum Foil
2. CHECK FOR RUST
"A lot of times, in the off season, you get rust inside," says John. And you definitely don't want that getting anywhere near your food!
3. AFTER YOU CLEAN, RUN IT
John says that once you're done cleaning, you want to make sure to run the grill for about 45 minutes at a high temperature. "That's really going to cook off all the rest of the grease [that didn't come off while cleaning]," he explains.
RELATED: Summer Grilling Tips: Cleaning Your Grill
4. CHECK YOUR PROPANE
Make sure that it's connected, that it's full and that the wires aren't damaged. (Those outside critters could have taken a nibble on them!)
5. AND IF YOU SMELL GAS…
Call a plumber! You want to make sure that your grill isn't just working, but working safely.
