These Magical Grill Cleaners Will Make Your Grates Spotless

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Trying to remove caked-on food, stubborn grease, and burnt barbecue sauce can make even the most avid griller want to hang up their tongs for good. That's why it's important to stay on top of cleaning your grill. We've rounded up our favorite grill cleaning solutions to make post-baby back rib clean-up a lot easier. Paired with these hard-working grill brushes, you're golden.

How Often Should I Clean My Grill Grates?

It depends how often you're using the grill, but at least twice a season—once at the beginning and once at the end. If you barbecue often, do it every two months. As you grill, carbon deposits build up on all surfaces. Residue from the food you are cooking can stick to it and hold bacteria. It can also affect the functionality of your grill. So if you want delicious, well-cooked food, clean your grates every six months.

What's The Best Method For Cleaning Grill Grates?

It's best to follow the directions of the grill cleaner you're using. It will tell you whether to soak the grates in a bag overnight with the product, just spray it on and scrub, or some other method. That way, your grates will be shiny, clean, and non-stick! And if you're looking for a DIY alternative, check out our full grill cleaning guide here.

Carbona 2-In-1 Oven Rack & Grill Cleaner

This grill cleaner does the work for you—seriously. Just put your grill grates into a large bag with this solution overnight. When you wake up the next morning, all of the grease and food remnants will be gone after a quick rinse. Magic.

"I could not believe my eyes!" one reviewer raved. "There was zero, and I mean zero gunk on the rack. It was shiny clean, literally sparkling as if it was brand new!"

Easy Off Professional Oven & Grill Cleaner

Grease, you have met your match. Whether you're using an oven, broiler, or a grill, this no-nonsense spray tackles even the most stubborn, left-behind grease.

"This product is so easy to use," one customer wrote. "You really just need to spray, wait a few minutes, and you can literally wipe off the grease!" Just make sure to use this one outside, as many reviewers warn that it has a strong, chemical smell.

Therapy Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish

If you plan to eat off the grill on the regular, we don't blame you for holding your cleaners to a higher standard. This plant-based one uses coconut oil, which tackles grill grime just as well as its chemical-laden counterparts.

"I have a Weber stainless grill that was looking a little dingy," this customer said. "It took food stains, oil residue, and barbecue sauce right off with very minimal effort, unlike other products I’ve tried where it takes some elbow grease."

Zep Heavy-Duty Oven and Grill Cleaner

This Zep cleaner was originally meant for restaurant use, so you know it'll handle your grill with ease. With a few minutes of soaking and a damp sponge, you will have a shiny grill in no time. For this buyer, it "removed three-plus years of grease from the grill, and you could see metal again."

Goo Gone Grill and Grate Cleaner

You might think Goo Gone is just used for sticky residues inside the home. But the formula's citrus acid—the non-toxic star ingredient of this cleaner—works crazy fast in their grill cleaner. Impressed Amazon reviewers say it took just 10 minutes. "The grease and gunk came right off with a wire brush," one raved.

Citrusafe Grill Cleaning Spray

Forgot to clean off the grill after cooking last time? It happens to the best of us. Unfortunately, set-in stains tend to be unforgiving. This cleaner, however, gets rid of days (or months) of old stains and leaves behind a lovely lemon scent. "This cleaner works very well," a reviewer wrote. "Food stains and food residues on the grill are easier to remove when you use this."

Grate Chef Non-Stick Disposable Grill Wipes

No need to whip out the heavy-duty cleaner if you've only made a light meal. These absorbent and flame-retardant wipes are great for a quick once-over to make sure you've gotten everything left behind. It keeps the grates shiny and non stick.

"My husband now won't grill meats without these grill wipes," this customer said, noting that he cleans the grill both pre and post cooking by attaching them to a grill brush. "One sheet works for both before and after grilling. Makes for a nice grill with no yucky buildup."

Bissell SteamShot Hard Surface Steam Cleaner

Not only does this steam cleaner have multiple uses (hello, clean grout and tiles!), but people rave about its use on the grill. If you want to clean without chemicals, this is the way to do it.

"This SteamShot mini steam cleaner is ah-MAZING, ah-MAZING!!" one reviewer raved. "The moment you use it, you’ll be saying, 'where have you been all my life??'"

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