It’s a sad truth that winter is coming and with it, most of us will have to pack up our grills until next season. Going through the process to winterize your grill is the last step to take before ending the grilling season.   With this simple checklist, you can put your grill to bed for the winter with the comfort and satisfaction that it will be ready to enjoy with the thaw of spring.

Cleaning

First, turn your grill on to high heat and let the fire do the job if getting rid of any random food bits hanging around. While the grate is still hot, take a wire brush to it and scrub it clean, When it’s cooled, simply taking a bucket of soapy water to it and giving it a good washing inside and out may be enough but if you find that there are still some stubborn stuck on bits, some oven cleaner left over night will do the trick. If you are opposed to the chemical stuff, try using some baking soda and elbow grease. Once you’ve got it thoroughly clean, make sure you rinse everything well. You don’t want to leave chemical residues when you winterize your grill that will taint your food next year.  Head on over to our dedicated Grill Care and Maintenance page for more on grill cleaning.

Maintenance

Now is a good time to check for maintenance issues.  Are all of your tubes secured?  Do you see any cracks?  How about the grates, knobs, gauges or handles? If it’s all good, you are ready to move on.  Otherwise, order replacements when you winterize your grill so you won’t have to fuss with it before you can grill again.

Cover

Getting the right cover for your grill can make all the difference in its upkeep.  Be sure that you get a cover that fits and won’t fly away in the first windstorm.

And remember, if you are going to store your grill indoors, you need to unplug and remove the fuel tank. Never store fuel tanks in your house. If you take the steps to winterize your grill now, you won’t have to go through the pains in the spring when all you want to do is cook.