Outdoor Kitchen Basics: How Do You Clean Outdoor Kitchen?
Keeping outdoor kitchen hygienic is essential, but a bit different from cleaning the indoor one. So if you’re looking for an answer to “How do you clean an outdoor kitchen?” here is a routine that shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes.
How do you clean outdoor kitchen? An outdoor kitchen should be cleaned after each use by following these 6 steps:
- Clean the grill insides.
- Clean your grill outside with soapy water and then rinse it.
- Wipe your countertops, sink, refrigerator and burner.
- Clean outdoor furniture.
- Clean the floor with hose (or brush).
- Wipe your cabinets.
Cooking and dining in the backyard kitchen is a blast! So can be cleaning when you know exactly what to do. Now let’s dive into steps.
Clean the grill insides
Cooking is not only one of the great pleasures, but also a huge responsibility. Each time before you cook check if surfaces you’re going to use are clean. Each time you finish cooking clean stuff you used. This way you’re not going to poison one of your guests.
Instructions on cleaning the grill depend vastly on its type. If you have a high-class gas grill very often burning off the debris and wiping grill, after all, is going to be enough. Brushing stainless steel too often is going to result in shorter life cycle.
Sometimes burn off is not going to be enough. For this situation prepare a bucket of warm, soapy water and put on gloves. Parts should be still warm, but the grill should be off. Brush the grates with a brass brush and put them in the bucket. Food debris and excess fat should be removed also from plates, flame diffusers, and warmer racks. All of those parts put in the bucket and clean with the sponge.
Now it’s time to clean inside of BBQ body. Again warm soapy water is going to work great, especially with scouring pad.
When all of the parts are going to be dry it’s time to apply the protection. Spray parts with cooking oil to prevent rusting. Put a foil on your drip tray and cover it with the fat absorber.
Clean your grill outside and then rinse it
The dirtiest part of work is behind you! Yey! Now it’s time to clean the surfaces. Take another bucket of soapy water and wipe the outside of the grill.
If it’s a stainless still appliance be delicate. Although stainless steel is a durable material for outdoors, it needs special treatment too. There are 3 things you shouldn’t do to stainless steel grill to increase it’s lasting:
If it’s possible use only a wipe to clean your grill’s outside. If not take a soft scouring pad. Follow the grain of the metal and let it dry completely.
More tips on how to get rid of rusting or clean greasy plates you’ll find here.
Wipe your countertops, sink, refrigerator and burner
The grill is drying now and you have some muscle power to unwind? Take a bucket of soapy water and clean sink, burner, refrigerator and countertops.
Does your outdoor fridge have a funny smell after keeping in it fish, meat and cheese? There is a way to get rid of the stink with a homemade mixture.
Don’t forget about countertops – they need to be wiped after and before each use. Special care rules depend on the material of a countertop. Stones, like granite, ale durable, but can stain easily, as the surface is porous! If you want your outdoor kitchen countertops to look spotless do not delay wiping.
If you have tiles as a countertop of your outdoor kitchen remember to scrub grouts with a small brush. Toothbrush is going to be an excellent brush of choice.
If you have a concrete countertop sometimes it’s hard to clean all the stains with a wipe. What works is putting cotton with a cleaning solution for 5 minutes on the stain.
Clean outdoor furniture
After a food feast usually not only outdoor kitchen needs cleaning, but also an alfresco dining area. Put all of the dirty dishes to the dishwasher, all of the rubbish to the trashcan and shake of the tablecloth.
Now put a cloth in your soapy water bucket and wipe your chairs and table. While stains are fresh it should be a piece of cake. The end of this step is to dry furniture with dry towel. Done? You’re fast as a bolt of lightning!
Clean the floor with hose (or brush)
We’re close to the end of the routine. Take a brush and clean the floor. It’s important to get read of the food debris and grease as insects invasion or a safety hazard for people is not welcome.
Sometimes brushing is not enough and to clean-up, a hose is going to have to be released. If you have an oil puddle situation put liquid soap on it, brush a bit and hose it with water.
While you have your brush out take a look at an alfresco dining area. Does it need some care as well?
Wipe your outdoor kitchen cabinets
Yep, they need your attention too. So how do you clean outdoor kitchen cabinets? Prepare a bucket with soapy water, soft non-abrasive cloth or sponge and start wiping cabinets in the direction of the grain. Special instructions for stainless steel and wood are placed below. It’s easy to wash them very soon after staining, isn’t it?
Well if not, it’s worth remembering these three basic rules:
- cabinets need to be cleaned in the direction of the grain,
- never scrape your cabinets with anything abrasive, as it may result in permanent damage,
- never use chlorine or other pool detergents to clean cabinetry, as they may corrode cabinets hinges.
Usually outdoor kitchen cabinets are made out of one of the three materials: stainless steel, wood, or polymer. A polymer is a low maintenance material, but its longevity is shorter than in the case of stainless steel or wood.
How do you clean a stainless steel outdoor kitchen? Prepare a non-abrasive cloth, or a sponge, and a bucket of soapy water. Make moves in the direction of the grain. After removing grease and food debris dry it with a soft material, like a towel. Occasionally sealant agent needs to be applied.
Stainless steel and wood cabinets need some extra care from time to time to increase their longevity.
How do you protect outdoor kitchen stainless steel? Stainless steel outdoor kitchen needs to be carefully cleaned with a non-abrasive cloth and dried after each use. From time to time a sealant agent needs to be applied to surface to increase its longevity.
How do you protect outdoor kitchen wood cabinetry? Outdoor kitchen wood cabinetry should be oiled on regular basis, as oiling increases wood’s resistance to water, as well as moisturizes and safeguards. This routine maintains wood’s natural luster.
Additional searches
How do I protect my outdoor kitchen from the weather? An outdoor kitchen can be protected from the weather with covering and solution. Outdoor kitchen can be covered by the roof, or with the tarp. To increase longevity cabinets need an occasional application of sealant agent (stainless steel) or oil (wood).
Should I cover my outdoor kitchen? Covering an outdoor kitchen is an excellent solution to increase its longevity. One may cover an outdoor kitchen with a roof or a tarp. A roof is going to protect an outdoor kitchen from sun, rain or snow. A tarp is an excellent choice for winterizing.
