When You Stop Cleaning Your Grill, This Is What Happens

Who doesn't love barbecue season — warm weather, chilling poolside with a cold one and charcoaled burger with steak fries? It doesn't get much better than that. Grills are the epitome of summer nights; but just like your oven, microwave, or other much-used appliances, it needs to be scrubbed squeaky clean to stay running at tip-top-shape.

Between the wide array of meats — fish, beef, chicken, and steak, for example — and other foods like corn on the cob, the grill gets a lot of action and if you don't take care of it, you could run the risk of cross-contaminating something. Or in more advanced cases, Pro Grill Cleaning explains you could attract rodents, allow mold to fester, or even accidentally cook with carcinogens, which could then be in your food.

Cleaning the grill doesn't have to be an all-day task either, especially if you keep up with it. By following a few simple steps and knowing what to look for, you could have your grill cleaned up and ready to go within no time.

Keeping an eye out for maintenance needs is key.

Pro Grill Cleaning stresses that the most detrimental maintenance needs won't make themselves obviously known. While it's crucial to scrape remnants of food and grease, it's equally as important to check under the hood of your grill to see how the mechanics are running. The cleaning company references the burners and hoses or gas lines as the most common places to develop rust, deterioration, aging, or long-term problems like a growing crack or puncture.

Similarly, grease needs more TLC than just a scrape post-grill. If your grill has a grease catcher, this needs to be routinely maintained or else you could have a possible fire hazard on your hands. Not to mention, grease spillage can damage or stain surfaces.

Keeping tabs on what needs maintenance is key to a healthy grill. However, it can be overwhelming if you've never had to take care of one before. Circle D Construction has a simple eight-step plan that walks you through the entire cleaning process from start to finish, including a handy little guide with necessary cleaning tools, most of which you probably already have on hand.