The little-known 30p hack to help eliminate grease on your barbecue – you’ll find it in your kitchen
EXPERTS have revealed a 30p hack to get your barbecue squeaky clean.
Spring has proved to unseasonably toasty this year, with temperatures having already reached highs of 29 degrees.
Keen to relish in the hot weather, Brits up and down the country have been gathering with friends and family to enjoy barbecues in the garden.
And although barbecuing is an easy way to make a delicious dinner, it can be tricky to get grills clean afterwards.
Dirty barbecues interfere with the quality of food, and don’t make a great impression when you have guests.
However, experts from Shark have revealed that you can get your barbecue looking squeaky clean, using a cupboard essential.
You may think that onions are only good for adding flavour to hot dogs and burgers, but they can actually be used to get rid of grease too.
Experts from Shark said: “This hack works best when the grill is still warm, so it’s not something you can do just after removing your barbecue from winter storage.
“Nevertheless, it’s perfect for keeping your grill reasonably clean throughout the barbecuing season.
“Cut an onion in half, attach it to a large fork, and rub it over the bars of the grill.
“The onion release juices which turn into steam and dissolve grease and grime with relative ease.”
Backing this method up, Liam Glennon, senior outdoor leisure buyer at VonHaus explained: “One novel, natural solution to lingering grime is to clean the bars with an onion.
“Lightly turn up the temperature and attach half an onion to a fork to create a makeshift handle.
“Rub gently over the hot grill so the onion’s water naturally leaks across the BBQ—its antibacterial properties will remove any impurities.
“What’s more, unlike many chemical-laden cleaners, it’s safe for food preparation.”
Onions are extremely cheap, and if you don’t already have them in your cupboard, you can pick them up the supermarket for as little as 30p.
Government advice on BBQ safety
The UK Government have issued some guidelines for staying safe whilst using a barbecue:
- Keep a bucket of water, sand or a garden hose nearby for emergencies.
- Follow the safety instructions provided with your gas, charcoal, or disposable barbecue.
- Never use a barbecue indoors, in a tent, under an awning or in a caravan.
- Use enough charcoal to cover the base of the barbecue, but not more (normally around 5cms or 2 inches).
- Keep children, pets and garden games away from the cooking area.
- After cooking, make sure the barbecue is cool before moving it.
- Empty ashes onto bare garden soil, not into dustbins or wheelie bins. If they’re hot, they can melt the plastic and cause a fire.
- Make sure your barbecue is well away from sheds, fences, trees, shrubs or garden waste.
- In the countryside or public park areas, only use disposable barbecues where there are specially designated areas and carefully follow the safety guidance.
- Enjoy yourself, but don’t drink too much alcohol if you are in charge of the barbecue.
- Never use petrol or paraffin to start or revive your barbecue; use only recognised lighters or starter fuels on cold coals.
Another penny-pincher friendly hack is to use any dregs of beer you have leftover at the end of the night.
Simply soak a wire brush in the alcoholic beverage, and then use it to scrub the barbecue.
The beer should easily cut through the grease and food, leaving your barbecue squeaky clean.
However, this trick only works if the barbecue is still warm.
Another cheap hack is to sprinkle baking soda on to your grill.
Scrub hard with a brush, and your barbecue should come up sparkling.