Barbecues take a lot of abuse throughout winter, left outside to tackle the wind, rain and even snow, so it is no surprise once summer rolls around we open the lids to find copious amounts of rust, and are left wondering how to clean a rusty barbecue. In this blog, we are going to walk you through how to clean a rusty bbq, and how to prevent the problem of rust from happening in the future.
Clean Your Barbecue
The first step is the most simple, and it is to just give your barbecue a good, thorough clean with a bucket of hot, soapy water and a cloth, to remove and excess dirt, grease or scraps of food that might have been hanging around since last summer. Once the barbecue has been cleaned, it needs to be thoroughly dried, making sure every part of the grill is completely bone dry. This is because the chemicals we will be using to clean the barbecue will not work well with any water present, so a dry grill is a must.
The second step is to find yourself some protective gear in the form of rubber gloves and protective glasses, to make sure you don't come into contact with any of the rust remover. If you have particularly sensitive skin, you can also take advantage of Jenolite’s range of non-toxic rust remover products to make sure you don’t have any problems at all.
How to remove rust from barbecue grill
Now you are fully prepared to begin the rust removal process. Firstly, take an old cloth and give any big bits of rust on the barbecue a rub, to try and dislodge any large parts, making it easier to remove.
The next step is to apply some of Jenolite’s rust remover gel to the barbecue grill using a brush to get right between the grates. Tip the required amount of jelly into a plastic container, and then work it into the rust with a brush every five minutes, adding more if required. You will also need to be quite generous with the amount of jelly you are using, otherwise you may not get rid of all the rust. Continue this process until all of the visible rust has turned dark grey in colour, and then wipe the surface dry with a clean, lint-free cloth.
To ensure all of the rust has been successfully removed from the barbecue, brush away the dark grey residue with a wire brush or piece of steel wool, which should now remove the rust completely. If there is still any particularly tricky rust to get rid of, for example rust between the grates, then simply repeat the process described above until all the rust has been removed.
If there are any small components of your barbecue, such as handles, then these can be fully immersed into a plastic container full of Jenolite’s rust remover liquid. Simply leave the component in the liquid until the rust has been removed, drain the excess liquid for one minute, and wipe dry immediately with a clean, lint-free cloth.
If all this seems like too much work, there is a quicker fix - you can simply paint over the rust on your barbecue with Jenolite Directorust BBQ paint. The specially designed Directorust formula reacts with the metal to create a stable compound. For best results, however, we do recommend removing the rust fully with our rust remover products, and then repainting with our barbecue and grill paint.
Always make sure to wash any brushes or equipment you have used to remove rust in clean water immediately after use, and if there are any splashes on surrounding paintwork, walls or skin, make sure to wash off immediately with water.
Finally, you should make sure to clean the grill itself with hot, soapy water, to ensure that no harmful chemicals are left on it, which could come into contact with the food you cook on it.
Preventing a Rusty BBQ
The last step is focused on rust prevention, and how you can prevent your barbecue from rusting in the future. Here are our three key tips to help you avoid a rusty BBQ:
- Wash your barbecue thoroughly after every single use.
- Make sure to store it correctly in your garden, shed or garage to keep it away from the wind or rain.
- Regularly check your barbecue throughout the winter to make sure there isn’t any significant rust build up, and if there is any, deal with it as soon as possible.
- Protect your barbecue with Jenolite BBQ paint. The specially designed formula protects from corrosion and can withstand temperatures up to 650ºC.
