How to Prepare Your Grill for Winter

For outdoor grill lovers, it’s always a little heart-breaking when the warm weather season comes to a close. But while all good things come to an end, the best things just hibernate for a while.

Today, we’re going to review how to prepare your Nexgrill for its long winter sleep. A proper cool-down and clean-up for your grill helps to ensure a quick return to glory in the summer. However, you can’t just close the lid and walk away. Here’s a few steps you should follow to prepare your grill for winter.

1) Fire Can Cleanse Your Grill.

To prep your grill for winter, preheat the cooking grids one last time, then turn off your grill and scrub the grids with a grill brush to knock off as much debris as possible.

Removing leftovers is important because you don’t want wildlife to get curious about little snacks you’ve left behind, and you don’t want mold to come knocking, either. Mold can flourish if your backyard doesn’t get below freezing, and those aren’t the kind of greens we encourage grilling up.

2) Soap Can Help Too. Grab a Bucket and a 3M Pad.

After you’ve scrubbed off as much residue as possible, you’ll still need to do some deep cleaning. Make sure the grill has cooled, then remove the cooking grids, flame tamers, and burners. Once removed, use a 3M pad to polish off all remaining residue. Old-fashioned soap and water can help with this.

Just remember to rinse thoroughly. You don’t want soapy residue any more than you want beefy residue. Empty any ash catchers or drip pans, then soap them up as well before scrubbing, rinsing and returning them to their spots. .

3) Appearances Matter. Wipe Down the Outside of Your Grill.

If you grill as often as us, prepping your grill for winter is key to avoiding mold, or in some cases, corrosion. To ensure your grill doesn’t attract either of these, take a damp, soapy cloth, and wipe the outside of the grill to get rid of any sticky sauce drippings, hardened marinades, or other remnants of feasts gone-by. Don’t use abrasive cleaners unless otherwise directed to.

This is also an ideal time to take stock of your grill’s condition. Is anything cracked? Loose? Squeaky? Better to deal with it now than remember it suddenly in the spring after defrosting the salmon and getting that, “on our way” text from your friends.

4) Protect Your Investment with a Nexgrill Grill Cover.

Once you’ve cleaned your grill inside and out, you’ll want to maintain that sparkling state with a quality weatherproof cover that can keep the elements out. Make sure your grill is fully dry before covering it. Air drying is fine if that’s an option, but otherwise, towel it off to be sure everything is nice and dry before the cold winter months.

Remember that bugs, creatures, and moisture can get through any tears in the cover, so make sure yours is still in good shape. If you can store your grill in the garage, do that. If you can’t, try to place it under an overhang to keep the bulk of snow or rain off.

At the very least store it where it won’t do too much damage if it’s tipped over in a windstorm. And remember, never store a propane tank inside. Not even in the garage.

Remember that these steps aren’t just for the careful, they’re for everyone with a grill. Taking time now to care for your Nexgrill adds to its longevity, saving you both time and money in the long run.

Happy grilling, and don’t forget to share your grill creations with us using #HungryForDifferent.