If You’re Looking for a Sign to Clean Your Grill, This $5 No-Scrub Trick Is It (So Smart!)

Despite my time growing up and living in the perpetually sunny city of Los Angeles, Memorial Day weekend is when grilling season (aka the actual summer season) begins. Since my husband spent several weekends grilling on our portable Weber grill last summer, I decided to give it a good cleaning a few days before Memorial Day to get it BBQ-ready.  

I would normally use dish soap and a scrubby sponge for this job, but the interior of the grill, including the grates, were looking a little grimy, so I opted for something a little stronger. I noticed that this beloved product was the winning method for cleaning grill grates, and as it turns out — after trying it, I’ll never use anything else to clean our little grill again!

I wanted to see exactly how heavy-duty this spray claimed to be, so I didn’t scrub anything off before spraying. I simply followed the label’s instructions and sprayed the inside of the lid and grates, making sure there was maximum coverage. Before spraying, I also wore rubber gloves and an N95 mask since the scent was quite strong chemically (I also did it on my balcony for better ventilation). Although the label recommended letting the product sit for 20 minutes, I waited 40 minutes based on The Kitchn’s cleaning showdown’s steps for this spray. 

When I returned for the first wipe off with some damp paper towels, I was truly impressed (and also grossed out!) with how much came off from the lid specifically. It almost looked like an entirely different lid! 

Once I got to the grates, everything came off with such ease that I thought I might have sprayed too much. I sprayed the interior a second time and waited another 40 minutes to get a thorough clean. This time, I was able to get about 90% of the interior clean (certain nooks and crannies required a toothbrush, but still minimal effort). The lid that was brown and splattered was now shiny and silver, and the grates looked as good as new (I washed them with soapy water after to get any residue off). 

The best part about the Easy Off Heavy Duty Cleaner is that no scrubbing is required — something I was dreading before I discovered this spray. Although the scent is quite strong, its overall effectiveness and cleaning power more than made up for that. Lastly, at under $5, it’s an excellent value to get any grill (portable or otherwise) or oven back to its former glory. With the Fourth of July just around the corner, my little grill will be ready for corn on the cob, hot dogs, shrimp kabobs, and so much more. What are you waiting for?

Buy: Easy Off Heavy Duty Cleaner, $4.97

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it here: If You’re Looking for a Sign to Clean Your Grill, This $5 No-Scrub Trick Is It (So Smart!)