50 Safety and Maintenance Tips for Your Barbecue – Forbes Home

Barbecue safety starts the moment you bring out the grill. Learn charcoal and gas grill safety tips before, during, and after preparing your favorite summer dishes.

Before grilling

• Maintain distance: Keep the grill 10 feet away from any structure, such as the house, deck railing or tables, to prevent heat from damaging these surfaces and to avoid any fire hazard. Avoid overhead obstacles such as eaves or overhangs.
• Ensure stability: Place the grill on a solid, flat surface so that it remains stable.
• Keep child safety in mind: Keep children and pets at least 3 feet away from the grill to avoid accidents.
• Cleaning the grill: Remove grease and fat from grill and grease trays.
• Opt for open spaces: Avoid using the grill in an enclosed area, such as a house, garage, shed or tent. Use the grill only in a well-ventilated area.

While grilling

If you want to enjoy barbecuing, it is important to remember some safety tips when using the grill.

• Wear the right clothes: Avoid wearing loose-sleeved clothing that could catch fire.
• Watch the grill: Have a responsible person supervise the grill. Never leave the grill unattended.
• Take care of flare-ups: Spray minor flare-ups with a spray bottle filled with tap water.
• Using long utensils: Use tongs and long-handled spatulas to keep your hands away from the flames.
• Use a fire extinguisher: Keep a fire extinguisher nearby to put out any flames on or around the grill.

After grilling

Your work doesn’t stop when the last burger rolls off the grill: Follow these post-grilling safety tips.

• Turning off the grill: Remember to turn off gas barbecue burners.
• Close the lid: Close the lid to keep children safe or to keep birds and squirrels away.
• Avoid watering: Do not douse a hot charcoal grill with water. Instead, let it cool on its own, as sudden cold water can potentially crack your grill.
• Remove starters: Close and store starting fluid. Remember to unplug electric lighters.
• To move away: Once the grill has cooled, you can move it out of the eating area, but avoid placing it in an enclosed space.

Gas Barbecue Safety

Using a gas grill comes with its own set of safety tips and challenges. Below, we’ve rounded up some important points to keep in mind.

• Check valves and fittings: Check valve connections before connecting propane tank.
• Check for leaks: After connecting the tank, smell for gas leaks. You can also try cleaning the connections with soapy water. This trick works because bubbles indicate leaks.
• Be careful when turning it on and off: Light the gas grill with its ignition button, not with matches or a lighter. After cooking, turn off both gas knobs on the grill and the gas supply valve on the tank.
• Starting the grill with the lid open: Open the grill lid before turning on the propane supply.
• Take note of the tank expiration dates: Check the expiration date of the propane tank and exchange it if it is close to that date.

Charcoal Barbecue Safety

If you prefer charcoal grills, you will need to keep the following safety tips in mind.

• Start with starting fluid if using: Do not add lighter fluid after the grill has been lit. Charcoal lighter fluid should only be used to start the flames.
• Do not use gasoline: Use charcoal lighter fluid, never gasoline, to start a charcoal grill.
• Consider safer starters: Use a charcoal fire pit or electric starter instead of petroleum products.
• Take time to refresh yourself: Extinguish the coals completely before disposing of them. If possible, allow the coals to burn out on their own.
• The coals remain outside: Store extinguished coals outside, away from the house. Do not throw the coals in the trash until they are completely extinguished.

Grilling Safety Tips

It’s not just about the grill itself: you need to make sure the food you put on it is delicious and safe for everyone. Here are some tips to keep your food safe during your next grilling session.

• Keep food cold while marinating: Marinate meat and vegetables in the refrigerator and remove just before grilling.
• Be careful when handling raw meat: To avoid contamination, tongs and other utensils used to handle raw meat should not be used to plate cooked foods.
• Cook foods to a safe internal temperature: Heat the meat on the grill until it reaches its proper internal temperature and check it with a meat thermometer. The USDA recommends 165 degrees Fahrenheit for poultry and 160 degrees Fahrenheit for hamburgers, all beef products, and pork.
• Keeping food warm: After cooking, keep food at 60°C or above by moving it to the side of the grill. You can also keep it warm in the home oven at 93°C or above.

At the end of grilling season, you’ll want to clean and store your grill for next year. Follow these tips to ensure your grill stays in good condition after each use and while it’s hibernating.

Clean the grill

Cleaning your grill may seem simple, but doing it thoroughly every time can be a little trickier than you think. Luckily, our grill cleaning tips make it easy.

• Clean after each grilling: Clean the grill after each use to avoid any buildup that would make subsequent cleanings even more difficult.
• Clean shortly after cooking: Try to clean the grill within a day, as accumulated food will soon begin to break down.
• Empty the drip trays: Remove, empty and clean grease and fat from drip trays.
• Use safe brushes: Avoid using wire-bristled brushes and use nylon-bristled brushes instead. Wire-bristled brushes injure more than 130 people a year when they ingest the hairs they leave behind, reports the American Medical Association.
• Soak the grates: Remove and soak grease-covered grates in hot, soapy water.
• Cleaning the exterior of the grill: Wipe the exterior of the grill with a soft cloth dampened with warm, soapy water.
• Clean with baking soda: For stubborn stains, make a thick paste of baking powder and water and rub the grill with a soft cloth.
• Cleaning the charcoal barbecue: Clean out any air vents clogged with ash. Remove any remaining charcoal and ash.
• Cleaning the gas barbecue: Clean clogged gas burner ports with a wire or straightened paper clip. Of course, only perform this and other cleaning methods when the grill is off.
• Melting season: After cleaning and drying, season the iron grates with cooking oil.

Put away the grill

When it’s time to say goodbye to the grill during the colder months, keep these tips in mind.

• Deep clean the grill: Clean all parts of the grill before storing to remove food, grease and fat.
• Dry the grill: To prevent rust from forming, air dry the grill in the sun or dry it with old towels.
• Remove the tank: Disconnect, remove and store the propane tank in a cool place.
• Remove the batteries: Remove batteries from gas grill igniters to prevent corrosion.
• Cover the vents: If you don’t want to protect the grill with a cover, at least cover the air holes with tape.
• Remove the drip tray: Clean and store the drip tray or consider purchasing a new one if it is rusty.
• Close the cover: Keep the lid tightly closed.
• Put away the tools: Clean and store cookware indoors.
• Cover with a grill lid: Purchase a grill cover that is designed to fit your grill. Use the grill cover instead of a plastic tarp or similar materials.
• Store in a covered place: Clear a space in a covered area such as a shed or garage and store the grill until the next grilling season.