Whether a high-end smoker or a simple BBQ, using a grill will always result in mold. This is so because mold thrives on moisture and grease, which makes it the ideal habitat. The likelihood of mold growing on a covered barbecue is much higher. Mold is simple to eradicate if your grill or smoker is made of metal.
Fortunately, the grill’s heat allows for its use in the cleaning procedure. People ask, “Is mold on a grill dangerous? The simple and straightforward answer is no. Even a small amount of mold on a grill can cause allergies and can be harmful. To ensure a safe cleaning, we’ve compiled a quick list of things you should wear before starting to make sure you’re as safe as possible. It is necessary for us to identify the source of the mold on the grill.
Where Does Mold Come From?
We all know mold typically develops in wet areas, which is valid with grills. When the grill is left unattained in a damp environment or when the grill is covered with a grill cover before drying it completely. Molds need moist and warm conditions to grow and the growing time is from 24 to 48 hours and colonizes within 1 to 12 days.
The spores in the atmosphere find the grill a suitable place with favorable conditions to grow. It doesn’t matter whether you have charcoal or an electric grill, when the mold finds moisture, it starts growing and takes over the whole grill.
Is it Safe to Cook on a Moldy Grill?
According to research, several germs are present in barbecues and smokers, an unattained grill has an average of twice as many germs than a toilet seat. When food particles are left on the grill, the bacteria feed on them which results in favorable conditions for molds to grow.
If mold is present, you must clean your grill before using it. You’ll probably eat the mold spores if you utilize a moldy grill because they’ll likely come into touch with your meal. Even though ingesting a few mold spores won’t probably hurt you, it’s recommended to avoid doing so.
Some persons are “mold-sensitive,” meaning that mold toxins are not quickly eliminated from the body, impacting all other organs. If you’ve ever been exposed to mold, poisonous mold might blame you for your gastrointestinal issues. This is because mycotoxins, a toxic consequence of some molds, and the immunological response to mycotoxins, can affect your gut flora and inflict damage on your intestinal lining, resulting in a leaky gut.
How To Get Rid of Grill Mold
- Put on any extra PPE required, such as a facemask and gloves. Spores from unsettling mold are released into the atmosphere and can be dangerous if inhaled. Without a face mask, breathing in mold spores could irritate your sinuses and make you feel ill.
- Clean the grill of any leftover lava rock, porcelain, briquettes, old charcoal, or other porous materials. Put the charcoal and ashes outside, away from fences, structures, and other combustible materials, in a fire-safe container.
- Turn on the grill. To destroy the molds and burn the accumulated grease, ensure the heat is as high as possible. This stage will require a lot of energy from you.
- Let the grill finish cooling.
- Use a wire brush or comparable instrument to remove all the grime, burned grease, and mold from your grill when it cools. If you don’t have a wire brush, a scourer or brillo pad will do the trick.
- After washing, thoroughly clean the grill with hot, soapy water. Rinse the grill after making sure it is spotless.
- Finally, preheat your grill once again. This ensures that your grill is mold-free and prepared for the summer by burning any remaining mold, soap, or oil.
How do you Clean Moldy Grill Grates?
You must remove each component of your grill and clean it if mold is already growing inside of it. It would help if you used several techniques to clean a grill that has mold, depending on its type, including whether it is gas, charcoal, ceramic, or another grill. Discover the six simple ways of cleaning mold off a BBQ grill.
Use Mask as your First Line of Defense
Protecting your respiratory system by wearing a face mask is the first and most essential thing to remember when dealing with a moldy grill. If the spores get into the respiratory system, they will be harmful to you. Wear protective glasses to protect your eyes from the spores, because it causes irritation in the eyes.
Heat your Grill for at least 15 Minutes on a High Setting
Clean the grill by scrubbing the areas where you see molds. When you are done with it, put on the grill to the highest settings to kill the mold and spores. It is the most crucial step while cleaning the grill containing mold. The temperature beyond 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes will kill the spores.
Mix your Grill Cleaner to Rid the Mold
Before taking apart the grill, let it cool off first—mix baking soda and water. Remove the grill grates, scrub them, and apply backing soda paste on them.
Scrub the Grill Grates, Grill Cover, and any other Mold-Containing Components
Take a grill brush to get rid of any dirt or mold, scrub the grill grates, and wash with warm water and soap. Use a grill scraper, pressure washer, or wire brush to remove mold. You might have to scrub arduously with your hands if you don’t have access to a power washer.
Wash the Grill and Allow it to Air Dry
Dry your grill entirely once you’ve cleaned off the mold. Before assembly, place the components on clean paper or cloth. Ensure your grill is stored correctly if you don’t want it to become a humid mold magnet. Reassemble your grill with fresh briquettes once it has dried, or reconnect your propane tank.
Turn the Grill’s Temperature up to High for an Additional 15 Minutes
When you are done with cleaning, reassemble your grill. Turn it on high heat for 15 minutes to burn off any remaining mold. Keep all vents and valves open until the grill cools down. The moisture will be released as a result. A thorough cleaning should be both a prevention and a remedy for this issue on your barbecue.
The straightforward and most effective technique to solve the mold development problem in the grill is prevention. Keeping things dry is essential for preventing mold growth. Before putting the grill away, let it dry naturally.
Safety Precautions
Take a few safety measures before removing mold from any surface to safeguard your lungs, skin, and eyes from mold and dusting supplies. Put on:
- Shoes and Pants.
- A shirt with long sleeves and gloves that are waterproof.
- A face mask.
- Protective glasses.
Propane or Gas Grill
- Turn the gas or propane grill, so the breeze is at your back to start cleaning it. This makes sure any odors or mold spores blow away from your face.
- Light the grill by turning on the gas or propane. Heat the grill for at least 15 minutes to eliminate the mold and its spores.
- After allowing the grill to cool, remove its internal components. Before throwing the lava rocks or ceramic briquettes out in the trash, please remove them and place them in a plastic bag.
- Shake the can of the barbeque grill, and clean well before using it to spray the inside of the grill. Use the cleaner spray on the grill’s components. Give the cleaner five to ten minutes to do its job.
- Use a scrub brush to thoroughly clean the inside of the grill, the heat shield, the cooking grate or rock grate, and any additional fittings. Paper towels should be used to clean the grill and its components. Newspapers, tarps, and towels should all be thrown away. Use a garden hose to rinse the grill cleanly. Repeat the cleaning if it’s still dirty.
- Reassemble the grill and replenish it with fresh ceramic briquettes or lava rocks. Light the grill by turning on the gas or propane. For 15 minutes, heat the grill on high to dry the inner and eliminate any remaining germs or mold spores.
Charcoal Grill
More caution must be taken to prevent contracting or breathing in the mold from a charcoal barbeque.
- Carefully eradicate any unused charcoal from the grill. Add fresh charcoal and starting liquid for the fire. Light the grill and turn the heat high to burn the mold off. Before continuing, let the barbecue grill cool completely.
- The cooking grate and other inside grill components should be removed. Put the ashes and charcoal outside, away from fences, structures, or combustible surfaces, in a fire-safe container.
- Spray a grill cleaner on the grill and its components, coating all the surfaces with foam. Give the foam five to ten minutes to work.
- Use a scrub brush to clean the interior and exterior of the grill thoroughly. Use paper towels to clean everything, and then rinse with fresh water. Place the paper towels and newspapers in the garbage. The grill needs to be put back together.
- Light some charcoal that has been placed on the grill. To eliminate mold or bacteria, heat the grill to a high temperature. Before disposing of the charcoal, let it cool and burn out completely.
Grill Shield
Sometimes the mold is on the grill cover rather than the actual grill. Please remove the BBQ grill’s lid and place it on the driveway or lawn tarp. Turn the cover inside out first to see if the mold is on the inside. Per gallon of water, use 1/4 cup of bleach, and combine boiling water in a bucket with the cleaning agent.
Wipe the grill shield with bleach solution using a scrubber-style sponge to eliminate the mold. Give the bleach solution five minutes to work. The grill cover should be thoroughly washed with clean water and then hung to dry.
How do I Stop my Grill from Molding?
The only method to stop mold from growing is to clean your grill more thoroughly or carbonize it before the fire goes out. Mold grows because there is food for it to eat. Because hot air is less dense, it will draw cold air in along with spores when it gets cooled down.
Once they get in, they start flourishing in a grill’s enclosed, frequently humid environment. Luckily, there are steps you can take to reduce the possibility of mold growing on your BBQ in the future.
Keep the Grill Out of Direct Sunlight
The most important thing you can do to avoid mold is to clean your BBQ before storing it. However, it would help if you also considered where you’d be keeping it for the future. Be careful to keep your BBQ out of the direct sun if left outside. This is due to the possibility of mold growth from any leftover food left behind as the temperatures start to climb at the start of spring.
You can also think about keeping your grill indoors. Although we know that not everyone has this option, if you can leave your grill inside, you should.
Store in a Garage or under a Shed
The ideal location is a garage or shed because it provides year-round outdoor protection. Choose a site away from the sun and free of leaks and drips. Beware—a shed or garage with a leaky roof makes the ideal environment for mold to grow.
Cleaning your grill entirely after each user is the most excellent way to stop mold from forming on it in the future. After using your grill, gently clean the grates while they’re still warm. This is due to how much more generous and simpler it will be to remove the food particles. Use a scouring pad or a cloth to remove any leftover grime and debris.
Conclusion
If you see mold on the grill, don’t panic. There are various methods to remove it from the grill. Scrape the areas where you clearly see mold. When you finish scrapping, start the grill on high heat for at least 15 minutes to get rid of it. The solution of backing soda and water is the best way to remove mold from the grill.
Make a paste and apply it on the areas where you see molds, rub it after some time, and rinse with warm water. The backing soda will destroy the molds along with bacteria. The use of a vinegar and water mixture is an additional technique that is possible. While the water helps rinse it off, the vinegar aids in cleaning the grill of grime and grease. If you don’t remove mold, it can cause severe allergies. So, keep your grill clean to avoid mildew, and cook and grill healthy.