Prices, Promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.

How to Clean a Charcoal Grill

Valerie Albarda

By Valerie Albarda
Updated August 4, 2025

One of the secrets to tasty and healthy grilled food is a clean charcoal grill. Grill grates accumulate grease and residue with every use. These can become breeding grounds for bacteria and fungi. We’ve put together some simple steps showing you how to clean a charcoal grill.

Tools and Materials

Tools

Materials

The Importance of Cleaning Your Charcoal Grill

Every time you cook on your charcoal grill, food particles can get stuck on the grates and inside the grill. That’s why it’s important to clean the grill after each use. Germs can develop on the grill surfaces and end up in your food, potentially leading to health issues. Whether you're using a traditional charcoal grill, a kettle charcoal grill, a barrel charcoal grill, or even a kamado charcoal grill, cleanliness is essential to ensure safe and flavorful cooking.

How Do You Clean a Charcoal Grill?

Below are a few steps to help you clean your charcoal grill.

Step 1: Heat the Charcoal Grill

The best way to remove burnt residue from a charcoal grill is while the grill is still warm and the grates are hot.

This step is crucial for all types of charcoal grills, including kettle charcoal grills and kamado charcoal grills, which retain heat for longer and can make the residue easier to break down.

Caution

Wear heat and flame-resistant safety gloves while working with a hot charcoal grill.

Step 2: Scrub Away the Burnt Residue

Use a grill brush that meets industry safety standards to dislodge burnt food. Depending on the grill grate, you can also use grill brushes with a scraper to lift any stubborn residue. Before using a grill brush, check it for loose or broken bristles. Inspect the grill grate thoroughly for bristles and debris after cleaning it.

You can also consider using a specialized grate cleaner for deeper residue removal on grills that accumulate heavy buildup.

Caution

The bristles of a wire grill brush may fall out and end up in your food, leading to a medical emergency. Always use a brush that’s proven to have a reduced bristle pull-out and check it before using.

Step 3: Use a Grill Cleaner (Optional) to Clean the Grill Grates

When using a grill cleaner, allow the grill to cool down completely before spraying the cleaner on the grates.

Once the grill has completely cooled down, spray the grill/grate cleaner over the grates and let it sit for about five to 10 minutes to break down the residue.

Good to Know

If unsure about how much cleaner to use, always refer to the manufacturer’s instruction on the cleaner bottle.

Step 4: Scrub the Grill Grates

Using a scrubbing sponge, a bristle-free tool or a safe grill brush, scrub the grease from the grill grates. Thoroughly inspect the grate for bristles or debris after cleaning.

With some grills, you can also buff the burnt food stuck on the grates using a pumice stone scraper. It’s also useful in scraping off any rust forming on the grates. A pumice scraper can be used on both hot and cold surfaces.

Caution

A nylon bristle brush should only be used on a cool grate surface. Nylon will melt if used on hot grill grates.

Step 5: Rinse and Season the Grill Grates

Rinse away residue with warm water then dry the grill grates with a clean, soft cloth. Spray the surface of the grates evenly with cooking oil or rub vegetable oil on them. This helps protect the grates and prevents food from sticking the next time you’re grilling, making cleaning it easier. This is especially important for kamado and barrel charcoal grill surfaces.

Step 6: Remove Leftover Ash

Scrape off the leftover ash into the ash trap using a grill scraper. You don’t need to follow this step after each grill session. It is recommended to remove the leftover ash and clean the bowl once every week.​

Caution

Make sure that the charcoal is completely extinguished and the grill completely cooled before following the above step.

Step 7: For Kettle Charcoal Grills, Clean the Bowl

Use a plastic grill scraping tool to clean the inside of the bowl. Dilute dish soap in warm water to clean the outer surface of the porcelain-enameled grill. This step is especially beneficial as the rounded bowl can collect more grease and ash residue over time.

Step 8: Clean the Lid

If you use the grill a lot, you may need to clean the inside of the grill lid. Use a safe grill brush with reduced pull-out bristles. Before using a grill brush, check it for loose or broken bristles. After cleaning the grill lid, inspect it for loose bristles and debris.

Step 9: Ready to Use

Your grill is now clean and ready to use. Ideally you should do a quick clean of the grates after you prepare every meal to prevent food from drying and accumulating on the grill. If you fall out of the habit of cleaning it regularly or you don’t recall the last time you cleaned it, go ahead and clean it before every use as well.

A Clean Grill Means It’s Time for Good Food

Maintaining your charcoal grill, whether it’s a compact kettle design or a versatile barrel charcoal grill, ensures longer grill life, better flavor and safer food. All it takes is a few steps to get your grill prepped and ready to go. The best time to clean your charcoal grill is right after cooking, when the food bits haven’t had a chance to harden. Don’t forget to let the charcoal and ash cool completely before removing and disposing of them.

No matter how you grill, keeping it clean is the key to a better grilling experience and better food. Find all the grill cleaning tools you need when you shop online at Lowes.com or stop by your local Lowe's. If you need assistance, a friendly Red Vest associate will help you with whatever you need.

Related Tags: