Author Topic: How'd the ol' Injuns Clean their Gas Grills? (Read 4817 times)

winman · « **on:** March 27, 2006, 08:09:01 AM »

Mine is totally gummed up on the inside. Can I use oven cleaners or some kind of chemical to clean the inside and the burners and grates or should I just use soap and water and elbow grease? I would like to find an easier way. Thanks.

victorcharlie · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2006, 10:27:52 AM »

I don't know the right way to do this, but I scrape out what I can and then light it and while warm spray it down with easy off. I have a pressue washer and use it to get the easy off removed.......It's a very nasty job...and I usually wind up looking a lot like the grill.....good thing I only have to do the a couple of times a year.......maybe Hank Hill will tell us the "proper way" to clean propane accessories!

corbanzo · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2006, 01:47:39 PM »

I use a really big metal spoon, because you can scrape down in the corners, and use the point for more pressure, after I get the big stuff off, I'll use the wire brush. I dont usually get to the point of over cleaner, cause its going to get bad again quick anyways.

gp911 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 31, 2006, 12:20:51 PM »

You can clean a grill? :-D

I thought all that buildup is "special flavoring"? :?

When your grill smells better than the food you end up with, I guess it's time to clean it...

gp911

panman · « **Reply #4 on:** March 31, 2006, 04:31:40 PM »

Never clean a grill,just wire brush the greats and your in bisnuss.All the rest is gooood seasoning.pan.

ShadowMover · « **Reply #5 on:** March 31, 2006, 05:56:57 PM »

I've had luck cleaning heavily greased metal with an oxygen acetylene cutting bar. I know your first reaction is to say it won't work and I'm off my rocker, but this is a careful process, not a melt down. The idea is to burn off the grease with the oxygen rich flame you get when you push down the cutting lever, and keep the flame moving. The grease will pop off the metal, trailing flame and smoke, so wear eye protection and heavy clothing. Do it in a place where you won't start a fire, and have good ventilation. You don't have to 'preheat' the metal like when you are trying to cut through it, just put the flame on the grease and pull the oxygen on....poof, it's off the metal. It will even work on old paint and years old automotive grease or oil. Be aware that old paint and grease fumes can be bad for your health. I've used it on aluminum barbecues and on cast iron grills. The metal doesn't even really get hot, as you keep the flame moving. The ash and chunks burned off will make a mess, so don't do it where the stains will matter.

It may not be the best way, but it worked for me. You might try a little scraping or pressure washing first, just to get off the loose stuff.

Selmer · « **Reply #6 on:** April 06, 2006, 07:11:20 AM »

Turn all burner to HI, and let run for an hour or better. If it's really dirty and greasy, the smoke should be rolling by this time, turn it off, let it burn, and as soon as you can work with it, scrape the grates with a brush and the inside with a brush so you don't have any ash on your food when you close the lid. If you really want it clean, do this, then power wash it with old clothes on, it's a mess, but works well.
Selmer

Selmer · « **Reply #7 on:** April 06, 2006, 07:14:23 AM »

Turn all burner to HI, and let run for an hour or better. If it's really dirty and greasy, the smoke should be rolling by this time, turn it off, let it burn, and as soon as you can work with it, scrape the grates with a brush and the inside with a brush so you don't have any ash on your food when you close the lid. If you really want it clean, do this, then power wash it with old clothes, it's a mess, but works well.
Selmer

Graybeard · « **Reply #8 on:** April 06, 2006, 07:58:54 AM »

According to Nonya our resident cynic and expert on all things esoteric he says they dipped a porkupine in bear grease and scrubbed away. :eek:

qajaq59 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 09, 2006, 10:44:20 AM »

Go to Sears, get out your check book and.......

fe352v8 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 09, 2006, 05:56:16 PM »

They out-sourced the job, or had undocumented workers do it.

life is no joke but funny things happen

jon

Dee · « **Reply #11 on:** July 21, 2006, 09:50:58 AM »

Spray the darn thing with Easy Off multiple times if necessary. Then rinse off with a water hose with the nozzle set on jet. That will do it. If you stop up some gas jets an air hose will blow them clear. Realize if Easy Off is good for your oven it won't hurt your gas grill either. Just rinse it all off. Old Injun trick?

ShadowMover · « **Reply #12 on:** July 22, 2006, 04:11:17 AM »

Easy -Off is a spray solution of Sodium Hydroxide or Lye in common terms. It eats up Aluminum and Pot Metal parts. It won't hurt cast iron or steel.

kyote · « **Reply #13 on:** July 23, 2006, 12:46:32 PM »

I had this same problem for years.tried a lot of things even elbow grease and powered wire wheels.when chemicals are use (and they don't work to good)the seasoned flavor of the grill is gone and you have to start all over again.
now as far as the cooking grate are concerned.(they normally get caked the worst.)if you have a fire place that burns wood.make a fire and when the fire settles and you have a hot bed of coals.set the grates on top of the coals and 30 minutes take em out, and for god sakes don't use your bare hands.they will be clean as the day they were bought and still seasoned by the wood that vaporized the crud off the grates..I have a fire pit on the patio and use a lot of pecan and cedar in it.when ever the grids start to look caked I set the cooking grid on top of the coals and when I get up in the morning they are done.clean as a whistle..
as for other parts of the grill I use a very sharp heavy duty scraper seems to get most the heavy stuff off..but several years back I rebuilt my grill and had the inside parts sand blasted.I use my grill allmost every other night..(gives me a reason to make a batch of martinis.)and have been doing so for over 30 years..hope this helps all.

mrlizzzard · « **Reply #14 on:** November 04, 2006, 01:52:41 PM »

If anyone is listening,I don't clean my grill often but when I do heres how:Put tinfoil on the grate,turn the grill on hi close the lid and in 15 min. bingo it's clean.

Dee · « **Reply #15 on:** November 04, 2006, 02:36:07 PM »

Quote from: mrlizzzard on November 04, 2006, 01:52:41 PM

If anyone is listening,I don't clean my grill often but when I do heres how:Put tinfoil on the grate,turn the grill on hi close the lid and in 15 min. bingo it's clean.

Since this is an old indian trick, shouldn't you throw some tobacco into the wind, or pass an eagle feather over it first?

handyman06 · « **Reply #16 on:** November 04, 2006, 02:47:39 PM »

Your supposed to clean those things?

rio grande · « **Reply #17 on:** January 28, 2007, 08:52:45 AM »

how did the indians charge their cell phones? GPS?

Dee · « **Reply #18 on:** January 28, 2007, 11:44:28 AM »

Well being a Cherokee I am not supposed to tell you white guys how to do this, but it's gonna get out sooner or later anyway. We soaked the cell phone, battery and all in buffalo poop overnight. Now your gonna ask how that would charge the battery. Well, it didn't, but it did kill the urge to call anyone on it.

rio grande · « **Reply #19 on:** January 28, 2007, 07:13:17 PM »

Dee, I'm trying that right now, had to get some buffalo poop from Ted Turner.
But now isn't the the ancient curse on you, like when you tell the palefaces where the old gold mines are hidden? Sorry, didn't mean to get you in trouble.

Dee · « **Reply #20 on:** January 29, 2007, 12:59:37 AM »

That wasn't us on the gold mines, that was some tribe in california.

jrlinz · « **Reply #21 on:** January 29, 2007, 07:54:14 AM »

Quote from: Dee on January 28, 2007, 11:44:28 AM

Well being a Cherokee I am not supposed to tell you white guys how to do this, but it's gonna get out sooner or later anyway. We soaked the cell phone, battery and all in buffalo poop overnight. Now your gonna ask how that would charge the battery. Well, it didn't, but it did kill the urge to call anyone on it.

See, I always thought you soaked it in your Tea-pee! That explains the odor!

Dee · « **Reply #22 on:** January 29, 2007, 02:08:02 PM »

jrlinz, that was cornier than my last two posts put together. It almost sounded perverted. No wait, it did sound perverted.

rio grande · « **Reply #23 on:** January 29, 2007, 04:09:27 PM »

Hey Dee,
Thats a good quote about Texas. Do you know who said this -"If I owned Texas and Hell, I'd rent out Texas and live in Hell"?
Before you get mad, I'm a Texan, and proud of the 'skeeters and the heat and the humidity and the piss-ants and all that.

Dee · « **Reply #24 on:** January 29, 2007, 04:51:21 PM »

I have no idea who said it, and I ain't that sensitive about Tx. I am content knowing everywhere else is second best.

rio grande · « **Reply #25 on:** January 30, 2007, 06:30:32 AM »

It was Yankee General Sheridan, sent to Texas after the war.
Here in Houston there's an interesting old story, during reconstruction when federal troops were here, a lot of them died due to yellow fever and general mayhem and were buried in the city cemetery. Old man Pannell, the 'sexton' or gravedigger hated yankees and would bury them rather unceremoniously. Yankee commander got wind of it and called the old man in. "Mr. Pannell, I understand you do not like burying our soldiers." The old man replied, "On the contrary, I wish I could bury every d---n one of you." They threw him in jail, but only for a while. Needed his services I guess.

Dee · « **Reply #26 on:** January 30, 2007, 01:38:40 PM »

Purty good story, I never heard that one.

Telahnay's g'son · « **Reply #27 on:** February 08, 2007, 07:00:19 AM »

Quote from: rio grande on January 30, 2007, 06:30:32 AM

It was Yankee General Sheridan, sent to Texas after the war.
Here in Houston there's an interesting old story, during reconstruction when federal troops were here, a lot of them died due to yellow fever and general mayhem and were buried in the city cemetery. Old man Pannell, the 'sexton' or gravedigger hated yankees and would bury them rather unceremoniously. Yankee commander got wind of it and called the old man in. "Mr. Pannell, I understand you do not like burying our soldiers." The old man replied, "On the contrary, I wish I could bury every d---n one of you." They threw him in jail, but only for a while. Needed his services I guess.

That is along the lines of what was told about one of the officers in command of the yankee garrison at Pulaski, Tennessee. Seems his expectant wife (while making the trip from Ohio) had to stop at a farmer's place when the baby decided to make an early arrival. At the same time a local Johnny reb's wife was in the same predicament. Being the barn was close by a local midwife was called and she delivered both babies simultaneously. However, in the excitement she got the two newborns mixed up and couldn't say which baby was whom's. The yankee and reb drew straws to see who'd go in first and pick one out. The reb won and went into the manger area then after about an hour he came out with one of the farmer's recently born piglets. He had decided to take it in lieu of either newborn as taking a chance on getting the yankee baby was simply too great of a risk.

Dee · « **Reply #28 on:** February 08, 2007, 09:43:07 AM »

Now that, I do like.

rex6666 · « **Reply #29 on:** August 10, 2007, 09:24:32 AM »

You guys really surprise me, this is an old INDIAN trick.
THE OLD INDIAN WOULD HAVE TOLD THE SQUAW TO DO IT
just tell your squaw to get er done
you won't have to worry about it any more