Cleaning it

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munxcub

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Jun 16, 2013
136
11
Saskatchewan, Canada
Just wondering if anyone has an easy way to clean this thing. What I've been doing is bringing out a tub of hot soapy water to the yard and cleaning it there but it's a pain in the butt. Does anyone have a quick and easy method for cleaning it? Cold water from the hose just makes all the fat/grease set up and stick on...
 
I only knock off the flaky stuff with a paper towel every three months or so.  I do wipe down the outside with a shop towel and some greased lightning but that's about it.  I want the seasoning to help control temps and plug leaks.
 
My WSM is still fairly new, so I have not cleaned it yet. I have been thinking about doing it soon. My last vertical smoker I had, I used to power wash it on pressure high enough to knock the debris and any creosote off, but low enough to not damage the paint, etc.. I would also, light some charcoals to dry it, so I would avoid any potential rusting. I plan on applying the same practice to my WSM.

I will have to try the greased lightning for the outside. Thanks for the suggestion Bama BBQ.
 
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I only knock off the flaky stuff with a paper towel every three months or so.  I do wipe down the outside with a shop towel and some greased lightning but that's about it.  I want the seasoning to help control temps and plug leaks.
X2!!!  I've had my WSM for about 2 years and the only thing I've ever done is exactly what Bama said....except for that one time I grew some mold in there...then I used Simple Green and gave it a good scrubbing.

No need to clean it every single time...you're wasting good seasoning!

Bill
 
Agree on cleaning only when needed. I usually clean mine every 6-12 months depending on how much I have used it. The only things that I clean regularly are the grill grates and water pan.

For the water pan, I normally line it with heavy-duty foil when I cook, so cleanup for that is easy and will spray it out good with a garden hose when I am done.

The grill grates, i will scrub with a wire brush (same one you would use on any grill) as soon as I am done and while it is still hot (because it is easier when hot and fresh). If I have any meat still stuck to it, i will spray with the hose and scrub.

That is all that I do on a regular basis.
 
 
Sounds good guys, I wish I could fit the racks in my dishwasher. Now that I don't have to be concerned about keeping the actual shell of it too clean (aside from obvious nasties/outside tidy) I'm not so worried. I have a dedicated rubbermade tub for cleaning it. If I get hot enough water in it it's cake. We're talking about plumbing in a big washtub sink with hot water when we build our deck, that would be pretty sweet.
 
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