If you have a pellet grill, you know they're designed to practically run themselves - except when it comes time to deep clean. You'll know the time has come when you can't get your grill to light because so much ash has accumulated.

Most of the time, your standard soapy water just isn't strong enough to properly clean a grill. Caustic chemicals are also a big no-no, as they can leave behind residue that can end up on your food.

Simple Green Heavy-Duty BBQ & Grill Cleaner's formula removes baked-on grease, food, and carbon deposits from your grill and grill grates. The powerful cleaner can be used on porcelain-coated, stainless steel, cast iron, and other grill rack materials. It's clean-rinsing, so you can use it to deep clean both the interior and exterior of your grill without worrying about caustic chemical residue.

The best way to clean a pellet grill is to do so after every bag of pellets or roughly every 50 hours of cooking.

Directions for Cleaning a Pellet Grill:

Interior

Unplug your grill and make sure it's had plenty of time to cool down after cooking before you begin cleaning the inside of your pellet grill.

1. Take out the removable parts. Remove the grates, drip pan, and deflector plate. Use the putty knife to scrape away buildup.
2. Vacuum. Use a shop vac to get rid of all of the debris.
3. Clean the lid. Use the putty knife to scrape away carbon buildup and residue on the lid. Thoroughly spray the lid with Simple Green Heavy-Duty BBQ & Grill Cleaner. Let the cleaner sit for a couple of minutes to penetrate any missed buildup, then use a clean rag to wipe away the cleaner and the scraped-off gunk.
4. Scrape the inside of the barrel. Make sure to get all the lips and edges, as well as the area in the back where the chimney is attached. Scrape away buildup on the chimney and use the corner of your putty knife to clear the vents in the drip tray. Apply more Simple Green BBQ Cleaner to the inside of the barrel, let it sit, and wipe away.
5. Vacuum. Use your shop vac one more time to suck up all of the scraped-off gunk.
6. Clean the grates. If you have grates that can break into smaller pieces, place the parts in the sink and thoroughly coat them with Simple Green BBQ Cleaner. Let them sit for 5 minutes, then wash them either by hand or in your dishwasher. If your grates do not break up, use this tip.
7. Clean the thermometer and grease chute. Spray Simple Green BBQ Cleaner on some paper towels to clean the thermometer inside the grill and the grease chute. The thermometer dictates how hot your grill gets, while the grease chute connects your drip tray to your grease bucket. If the chute gets blocked, you're in danger of a grease fire.

Exterior

1. Apply Simple Green. Spray Simple Green Heavy-Duty BBQ & Grill Cleaner all over the outside of the grill and wipe down with a clean cloth or paper towels.
2. Reassemble. Replace the deflector plate, drip pan, and grates and you can get back to grilling!