Cooking delicious and juicy food on a fancy flat top grill might give a delightful experience to every cook or individual but cleaning the same after making an exciting outside dinner must be so challenging and pissing for anyone. The situation of the grill even gets worse when you cook anything so oily and the grill becomes messed up, dry, greasy, or burnt. So, to help you out in this situation, we made a complete guide answering how to clean a flat top grill which will give you various easy and effective ideas and make sure that you will never take a step back for cooking on a flat top grill just because of its cleaning issues. So, what are you waiting for, let’s begin and dive into the main body!
Table of Contents
What is a flat top grill?
A flat top grill is a cooking appliance that has a straight surface for cooking food. It provides even and balanced heat to the food which is being cooked on it. The plus point of using it over a griddle is that it takes less time to prepare a dish and make sure that your food remains juicy, crispy, and flavorful.

A flat top grill is used everywhere including a restaurant, the garden area of a home, a terrace, and so on. Last but not least, cooking on a grill gives an exciting experience because of the minimal effort you need to put on.
How to clean a flat top grill?
Cleaning a grill must look so frustrating and tiring but following some easy tips and tricks will work like magic for you. To know how you can make your grill shine again, read the below-shared ideas.
1. Using lemon juice
Lemon juice is one of the best cleaning agents because of its citric properties. To use this, all you need to do is follow the steps shared below:

Step 1: Make a mixture of lemon juice and water in a jug.
Step 2: After that, make sure to turn the grill to the hot setting and start spraying the lemon water on it.
Step 3: Do the same, until the grease comes out in a foamy paste-like structure.
Step 4: Now, turn the grill off and let it cool with the lemon water mixture sprinkled all over it.
Step 5: Lastly, wipe the dirt and let it dry for a few minutes. And this is how you can easily clean a flat top grill with just two cleaning agents.
2. Using hot cooking oil
Oil can make scratching and cleaning a grill easier and to know how you can do this, read the below shared steps:

Step 1: Turn the grill on and make it pre-heat for a few minutes.
Step 2: Once done, pour 4-5 drops of cooking oil all over it.
Step 3: Now, take a grill brick and start rubbing it in a circular motion so that the oil mixes well with the grease.
Step 4: After that, take a brush that is made to clean the grill and start scraping the grease gently.
Step 5: Once done, use a sponge or cleaning wipes to remove the residual and you are done with your job.
3. Using grill cleaner
Grill cleaner is a chemical-based liquid spray that is easily available in the market and made specially for cleaning all types of residue on the grills. These cleaners are not toxic and are one of the best ways to make your grills shinier again. To know about its usage, read the below-shared points:

Step 1: First of all, turn on the grill and preheat it.
Step 2: After a while, spray the grill cleaner evenly on the entire surface area of the flat top grill.
Step 3: Now, let the spray work and make the grease soaked for easy removal.
Step 4: After a few minutes, take a whipping towel and simply clean all the food debris in one go. And here, you have a cleaner and shinier grill again.
4. Using vinegar
Vinegar can literally do magic when it comes to giving flavor to food or even cleaning the grill. To know about its use specifically, read the below-shared steps:

Step 1: Make a mixture of vinegar and water in a jug with an equal proportion of both.
Step 2: After that, turn the grill on and preheat for a few minutes.
Step 3: Now, start spraying the vinegar mixture and spread that all around the grill with the use of a grill brush.
Step 4: You have to do this procedure at least two to three times or until the grease soaks up and comes out in the form of a solid mess.
Step 5: Now, make sure to turn the grill off and rest it once more with the vinegar mixture.
Step 6: Lastly, when the grill cools down completely, clean the top with a wipe or a piece of cloth and you are done with the cleaning process of your flat top grill.
5. Using steam
This is one of the best ways to clean a grill if you are seeking an idea that is chemical-free. To know how it works, read the below-shared points:

Step 1: Begin by turning on the grill and heating it on a high flame.
Step 2: After a few seconds, use a grill brush to scrape the food debris.
Step 3: Now, here comes the main task which is the frequent spreading of water on the grill top, spreading the water all around with the help of a grill brush, and scraping out the mess.
Step 4: Do the same for at least five times and then drain the unnecessary water (if it remains). And now you have your clean and tidy flat top grill.
Tips for cleaning a flat top grill
Below are a few beneficial and easy tips that you must follow if you are thinking of cleaning your flat top grill with less trouble. To know about them, read the below-shared points:
- Keep your cleaning tools like grill scraper, grill brush, and more assembled near the grilling area and grill for easy access to them when required.
- Clean the grill on the very same day when you use it otherwise cleaning later will become harder and tougher.
- Do not wait for the grill to cool down first and then begin with cleaning because doing a thorough wipe after you are done with cooking can ease up your task a lot.
- Do not forget to season the grill frequently to avoid burning the surface.
Conclusion
Above we shared a brief guide answering about how to clean a flat top grill which might have helped you make your grill shinier, brighter, and newer again. Cleaning a grill is very important not only for the sake of hygiene and food taste but also for maintaining and increasing the life of the grill.
However, there are multiple ways through which you can clean and scrape off the food residue but the best out of the rest is using lemon and water as this way works tremendously well in terms of effectiveness and quickness. Last but not least, if you still have any queries or want more cleaning ideas then do share them with us through the comment box mentioned below. Thank you for reading!
FAQs
1. Which tools can help in cleaning a flat top grill?
For cleaning a flat top grill you must have basic tools like a bench scraper, grill brush, paper towels, grill scrub pad, grill brick, and so on similar tools which are designed especially for these purposes only.
2. How to clean a flat top grill?
There are various ways in which you can try to clean your flat top grill in the best and most effective manner which mainly includes using lemon and water, using steam, using grill cleaner, using vinegar, and using cooking oil.
3. When should I do flat top grill cleaning?
In situations like building up excessive grease and sticking food items on the grill, you must do a deep cleansing of your flat top grill.
4. How does a grill cleaner work?
Grill cleaners are basically chemical-based liquids or sprays that are made specifically for cleaning grills. To use it, all you need to do is spread it all around and let the grease get soaked as well as easily scrapable. Once done, you just have to clean the grill with a towel or tissue. This process takes only 5-10 minutes and you get a shinier grill again.
Preeti Jha is a young writer who loves reading, writing, and using words in the crispiest and clearest way possible. She has 3+ years of industry experience and holds a very good command over language and representation of content. She believes in hard work and dedication when it comes to winning any milestone or getting loyal readers. From reporting and anchoring to writing and radio jockeying, she has an interest in various fields of mass communication.