"Throw another shrimp on the barbie" is the tagline from a 1984 advertising commercial that is now synonymously associated with summer in Australia. Seafood on the barbecue during the warmer months is certainly a crowd favourite, but if you packed away your Weber barbecue last winter without winterising it, you have an afternoon of cleaning ahead before you can use it again over the summer.  Following these steps will take your barbecue from gross to gorgeous in just a few hours.

Why Clean The Barbecue?

While it is tempting to just empty the ashes and fire up the barbecue again without doing any cleaning, you are facing the risk of a fire flare-up  When you look at the inside of the bottom bowl of your barbecue, does it look like the paint is peeling away from the bowl? That is not paint at all, but it is carbonised grease.

This grease has built up over the previous summer and it came from the fat of the meat you cooked. The drippings have all settled on the edges of your cooking bowl and are now a fire flare-up waiting to happen the next time you cook.

What Do You Need To Clean The Barbecue?

The easiest way to clean the inside of your barbecue is to use heavy-duty oven cleaner. You can purchase cans of this at your local supermarket or home hardware store. Additionally, you will need black garbage bags, a scrubbing brush and access to water from a hose.

How Do You Clean The Barbecue?

It is important you choose a cleaning spot that does not have a lot of grass, as the oven spray does contain chemicals that will kill your luscious lawn. A stone or concrete area is the best place to get cleaning.

Spray the inside of the top and bottom pieces of the barbecue with the oven cleaner, and pay careful attention to the application details on the back of the can. Once the spray has been applied, place each of the two barbecue pieces into a separate trash bag, and knot them closed.

Leave the trash bags out in the sun, and walk away to tackle other chores for a couple of hours. By leaving the barbecue in the sun, you are allowing the heat within the bag to fully activate the sodium hydroxide contained in the cleaner. With the barbecue enclosed in the bags, the fumes are able to dissolve the most stubborn of grease spots instead of evaporating into the air.

After a couple of hours, carefully open the garbage bags. Make sure you open them at arms length so you don't get a face full of strong, toxic fumes. Remove the barbecue pieces and rinse them clean with cold water. Any remaining grease spots should be scrubbed under the running water using a stiff brush.

Once your barbecue is clean, it is ready to face the grilling months ahead without being a fire risk to you. Just don't forget to buy some shrimp.

Talk with someone from a business like Outdoor Living for more information on barbecues.