Cleaning Guides

How to Clean a Rusty BBQ Plate

The Fantastic Team
Published: Oct 27/2020
Last update: Mar 17/2023
3min read
Views: 5,087

Rimma Bondarenko / Shutterstock.com

We all love to grill on the barbecue but not many people love cleaning it. However, a clean barbecue can really improve your grilling game. If your BBQ plate is rusty, it surely will ruin your food. Through time rust inevitably starts to develop, especially if you store your BBQ hot plate in a humid place or just leave it outside in the garden. Fear not, though, because we have a solution for you. In this guide, you will learn how to clean a rusty BBQ plate easy and effectively.

Table of Contents:

Why does rust appear on your BBQ hot plate
How often you should clean your BBQ plates
How to clean rust off BBQ plate
How to protect your barbecue plates from rusting
Maintain your BBQ hotplate clean
Takeaways

Why does rust appear on your BBQ hot plate

For rust to occur, you need exposure to air and water. That’s why, if you live in an area with high humidity, you need to be extra careful to protect your BBQ plate from the elements. With the tips provided below, you will be able to clean it very quickly.

How often you should clean your BBQ plates

We recommend cleaning your BBQ after each use since dirt tends to accumulate quite fast. If left uncleaned, all the grease and burned on food will stick on the coating. Then, the next time you decide to use your BBQ, your food won’t taste as good as it’s supposed to. Cleaning the plate will simply make your food taste better.

How to clean rust off BBQ plate

As previously mentioned, in areas with high humidity, corrosion of steel or cast iron plates is hardly avoidable. Rust is not preventable in some cases, but there are some things you can do to remove it. It’s essential not to use harsh chemicals as you’re cooking on it, so our recommendation is to use only natural products.

What you’ll require to clean the rust from the BBQ plates:

Metal scraper or spatula
Baking soda
Cooking oil
Paper towels
Grill stone block

How to clean a rusty BBQ plate

Turn the BBQ on high heat. This will loosen up any rust and debris from the plate. Let it burn for about 15-20 minutes. Turn off the BBQ and let it chill off.

Scrub as much corrosion off the plate as you can, using a metal scraper or a spatula. Make sure the BBQ plate is completely dry while doing this. Since water is one of the most significant causes of rust, dampening the plate is not recommended. To remove the excess rust, wipe away the surface with a paper towel.

After step 2, if there is still rust left on the plate, turn the BBQ on high temperature once again. Sprinkle some baking soda on the plate until the whole surface is covered. Due to the high temperature, the baking soda will begin to bubble and will remove the corrosion. Wait until the fizzy reaction goes away and turn off the BBQ.

Pick up regular cooking oil and pour a bit on the barbecue plate.

Rub the hotplate with a grill stone. Focus on the spots that have the most rust.

Wipe the surface with a paper towel. Apply more cooking oil and wipe until all the rust is gone.

If you can still see more rusty spots, repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 until you achieve the wanted result.

How to protect your barbecue plates from rusting

To prevent your barbecue plate from rusting, you shouldn’t leave any water on it. This makes it a lot harder if you leave it in the open. We recommend cleaning your BBQ grill after each use, so it lasts longer. Seasoning the BBQ plate with oil will provide a natural protective coat against corrosion. It will also create a stick-resistant surface to cook on.

Here’s how to season your BBQ plate:

Apply a small amount of cooking oil on the plate and spread it around with a paper towel.
Turn on the BBQ to medium heat. The oil will start to smoke, and the surface will begin to become discoloured. This means that the oil is bonding with the metal. Keep the BBQ on until the smoking stops, and the surface starts to look matte grey. The whole process can take from 30 minutes to an hour. You need to be patient.
Turn off the BBQ once the whole BBQ plate gets matte grey. When the surface cools down, you can add a final layer of oil. Vegetable oil creates a barrier against water and prevents the plate from rusting.

Maintain your BBQ hotplate clean

Keeping your barbecue plate well maintained is time-consuming and requires some knowledge on how to do it so that you don’t damage the coating. Fantastic Services can take this responsibility off your shoulders. We will do this dirty job while you enjoy your free time with your family and loved ones. We won’t just clean the hotplates, but we will take care of your whole BBQ.