Is It Okay To Hose Down A Grill?

Cleaning a greasy grill with burnt-on food bits is no one's favorite job. The temptation to make it easier by using a hose to get rid of all that BBQ gunk is powerful. Alas, grill manufacturers and experts aren't going to give you carte blanche to blast water at your outdoor cooking equipment with no regard to components (like electronics) that can be damaged in the process. The good news, though, is that to get your grill cleaned and prepped, you can hose down parts of it and make portions of this tedious task less of a burden.

If you're committed to keeping your grill safe and clean, you'll want to know which parts should never be doused with water and the consequences of any exposure. Overarching guidelines include delaying hosing until the appliance is cool, removing parts of the grill you want to wash this way, and thoroughly drying them afterward. Obviously, gas and charcoal grills have different parts that can and can't be exposed to water, and it is useful to know both.

Be sure burners are turned off and your grill is disconnected from the gas supply before cleaning. You can hose down the exterior once it is no longer hot.Several detachable parts are also fair game once they have been removed and allowed to cool. These include the grill grates, flavorizer bars, and grease trays, as well as heat shields. You can also hose down the venturi tube that mixes gas with oxygen.

When spraying detachable parts, keep them away from the rest of the grill so water doesn't land on unintended areas. Use a medium-pressure setting on your hose. If you need to degrease the grates, consider spreading a mixture of white vinegar and a cup of baking soda on them and leaving them in a sealed garbage bag for several hours. Take them out, rinse with the hose, and dry everything completely to guard against rust, mildew, and mold.

The gas-grill parts that should never be hosed down include the ignition system, which can shut down if wet. The burner housing inside the firebox needs to remain dry, as do all electronic and mechanical parts, such as the gas manifolds and control knobs. Also avoid spraying water in the vicinity of the regulator and connection to the gas hose. Be aware that hosing down parts that should stay dry could void your grill warranty, create rust damage, and saturate gas lines.

Charcoal grills provide many more parts that can be hosed down than gas versions do. However, if they have electronic parts, such as temperature probes, you should steer clear of those. Some varieties even come with Wi-Fi-connected with components that need to stay dry. You also shouldn't expose charcoal grills that have ceramic interiors to water.

Be sure the grill and coals have completely cooled before hosing, which can take up to 48 hours. Do not get the ashes wet unless you want to deal with a goopy paste that will corrode your grill bowl. Instead scoop them out (consider saving your BBQ grill ash as a soil amendment for plants).

You can degrease grates the same way you would for a gas grill and rinse them down afterward. At that time, hose down the full interior and exterior, including the wheels, unless the grill meets the "no hose" criteria mentioned above.