A barbecue cleans itself if you let it: heat burns the residue to carbon, and carbon scrapes off. The damage happens afterwards, when a caustic cleaner meets an aluminium hotplate or a wire brush takes the seasoning off cast iron.
Heat, scrape, season
Heat the barbecue, then scrape while the residue is still soft; that is the method that does most of the work. For heavy carbon, use a caustic or non-caustic grill cleaner with dwell time, keep it off aluminium, and finish by seasoning the plate with oil.
Prices are Freshway catalogue prices as at 16 September 2026 and are subject to change. Confirm the current price, and whether GST applies, before quoting.
The after-cooking clean that takes two minutes
- Close the lid and run the barbecue on high for 10–15 minutes, so the residue carbonises.
- Switch off the burners and, while the plate is still warm, scrape the residue into the trap.
- Wipe with a damp cloth and a squirt of oil. The oil is not there to clean; it is the seasoning layer that stops the plate rusting overnight.
Do that every time and you will rarely need a chemical cleaner at all.
The deep clean, and which product
| Product | Use | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Oven & Grill Cleaner Non-Caustic 408 | Aluminium plates, mixed metals, longer dwell | A$28.00 |
| Oven & Grill Cleaner Classic 410 | General commercial kitchen and kitchen-grade grills | A$35.00 |
| Oven & Grill Cleaner Premium 405 | Heavy carbon on steel plates | A$42.00 |
| Oven & Grill Cleaner Heavy Duty 411 | Carbon that has been baked on for months | A$58.00 |
| Agar Oven & Grill Cleaner spray | Fast touch-ups between deep cleans | A$6.50 |
| Easy Off Heavy Duty 325 g | Domestic aerosol for occasional use | A$6.95 |
The distinction that matters: caustic cleaners attack aluminium, and many barbecue hotplates, hoods and side tables are aluminium. If the metal is bright and light, choose the non-caustic product and accept a longer dwell time.
Burners, grill bars and the drip tray
Burners are the part people break. Take them out, brush them with a soft brush, and clear the gas ports with a pin — never with a drill bit or a wire brush, and never by enlarging the hole. Rusted-through burners are a replacement item, not a cleaning problem.
Grill bars and the drip tray can take a soak: hot water and degreaser for half an hour, then a scrub. On cast iron bars, dry them immediately and oil them, or they flash-rust overnight.
Rust, and why baking soda and vinegar do not fix it
Surface rust on a steel plate comes off with a scraper and a wire brush, then the plate is re-seasoned with oil. Rust that has pitted the metal is a replacement decision. The bicarb-and-vinegar method produces a fizz, no rust removal, and a residue in the corners of the firebox.
Commercial barbecues and food premises
On a food site, a barbecue is food-contact equipment and the cleaning record matters as much as the result. Food Standards Australia New Zealand sets the sanitation expectations in its food safety material, and caustic products carry handling duties under SafeWork NSW chemicals and other substances. Gloves and eye protection are the minimum for a caustic soak.
The trolley, side table and cover
The parts people forget are the ones that make the barbecue look old. Side tables and trolley shelves collect grease and ash, which then blows onto the plates when the wind changes; a stainless trolley wipes down in a minute with a neutral cleaner along the grain, and a powder-coated one needs a gentler product because abrasives dull the coating.
Covers are worth more than any cleaner. A barbecue left uncovered in coastal air will pit and rust through its steel fittings within a couple of seasons, and no product prevents that. Where a barbecue lives outdoors year-round, clean it, dry it, oil the plate and cover it.
Questions we get asked most
- What is the best way to clean a barbecue?
- Heat it, scrape it, oil it — after every use. Then a deep clean two or three times a season with a grill cleaner matched to the metal: non-caustic for aluminium, caustic for steel.
- How do I clean my BBQ after cooking?
- Run it on high with the lid closed for 10–15 minutes, scrape while warm, wipe with a damp cloth, and wipe a thin film of oil over the plate before closing up.
- Will baking soda and vinegar clean a barbecue grill?
- They neutralise each other, so the reaction is mostly gas and water. For light soiling it does no harm; for carbon and rust it does very little, and it leaves residue in the firebox.
- How to clean a rusty barbecue?
- Scrape and wire-brush the surface rust, then re-season with oil. Pitted or rusted-through burners and plates are replacements, because cleaning will not restore the metal.
- Can I use oven cleaner on a barbecue?
- On steel, yes with gloves and ventilation. On aluminium, no — caustic oven cleaner pits and darkens aluminium, and the damage is permanent.
References
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand — cleaning and sanitation.
- SafeWork NSW — chemicals and other substances.
Barbecue in a commercial kitchen?
Tell us the metal and how often it is used, and we will set you up with the right cleaner at the right dilution instead of a caustic product that etches the plate. Browse cleaning chemicals or ask our team.