Today I spent several hours in my yard, mowing, edging and weeding the flower beds. I love my yard, it’s one of my favorite parts of the house. Keeping the outside of you home looking cozy and inviting is just as important and the inside. As I walked around my yard it just didn’t seem as welcoming as I would like. My flower beds are beautiful but the patio leaves something to be desired. I have an old set of patio furniture out there and it has taken a beating over the past few years, but it’s still functional.
Then there’s the grill. I love that thing, it keeps the house from heating up in the summer, but boy, what a mess it can be. I bought a mat specifically made for under the grill so I don’t have grease and food dripping on the patio. The best thing about this mat is I can just hose it off and it’s good as new. If only keeping the grill clean was that easy.
My grill gets a lot of use and it shows. I know lots of people clean their grills with oven cleaner but being the green girl I am, I just can’t bring myself to spray those toxins so I use baking soda. It really does work for everything!
First take the grill apart and make a paste of baking soda and water, wipe this paste on the grill grids, the part where you put the food. Let the paste dry, scoop out all the gunk that has accumulated in the bottom of the grill and empty the drip pan.
Get the hottest soapy water you can stand, I just use dish soap, and wipe down the whole inside of the grill, don’t just wipe, you want it dripping wet. Let this sit and then scrub with a plastic scrubber, using baking soda if you need a little extra scrubbing power.
Now scrub the grill grids. Now wash the outside of the grill with baking soda and water. Finally turn on the garden hose and rinse it all off, inside and out. Once everything had dried put the grill back together and turn it on for ten minutes or so. It’s now ready for your next feast.