As you know we have just started as managers of the Mukinbudin caravan park. the worst job in the park without a doubt is cleaning the stainless steel BBQ every morning. any hints, tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Part of the problem is that the pilot light keeps part of the plate quite hot so the residue has all night to bake on.

It would have to be something that is not going to affect the food eaten so you can't use Jif which is what I use on my SS bench. My S in L uses beer to clean his BBQ, would that work?

Use metho and newspaper. Cheers, Peter

Carb soda and vinegar with a metal scraper to follow, then the scourer and clean, hot water. I guess the plate is dipped toward a hole in the middle. In an ideal world it would be better if the plate was cleaned BEFORE it's baked on by the pilot light. They had plates like that at the park I was in up in Cairns, and they scrubbed them every morning. I guess it depends on what's been cooked on each time. Good luck with that.

Evenin Tezza, yer they can be bloody hard goin!! i work in parks as i travel when i have too ,so i,ve cleaned a few...I use those scourers, ones like metal filings in a ball all tangled up ,U KNOW?? dishwashin liquid ,when the worst is off i use the finest wet n dry s/paper. leaves NO scratches & is very easy... OR.. i have a cordless drill, with a wirebrush attachment, [not the wheel type one ] the wire 'workin area' is about 2" round?? get a piece of the green scouring pad,& use that UNDER the wire brush, with detergent VERY EASY!! always finnish with a dry rag to wipe the plate down.
  those systems always work f me, but best on s/steel as opposed to iron. Good luck.......

Watched the guy at Hervey Bay use a pressure hose (Karcha/Gurney/Spi****er).  Did the plate & all the surrounding area from a water tank on the back of this moped.  Very efficient guy ... Cleaned the facilities daily before the campers was up & about.

Being an expark owner I understand the problem.
Your cleaning chemical supplier will have a propriety brand especially for the job.
Different suppliers, different brands.
Use with a Stainless steel ball scourer available in packs of 3 from the supermarket, often referred to as a Curli Girly.
The most important job though is once you've cleaned, finish off with 'White Vinegar' to neutralise any chemical residue from the cleaning agent you choose.
This is standard practice in the catering industry.
Cheers, ozjohn.

Would it be possible to turn off that pilot light after people are finished with it?

thanks for the suggestions, I'll see how i go now.

Some body from your council should know I see local council cleaning them every day always look great ask the experts

if u spray it with oven cleaner and leave for 30 min then use use scrower to gently scrub off then polish with metho ...should be as good as new

My uncle used to use SUGAR to clean his, whenever we had a function he would spread a fair amount of sugar (1/2 to 1kg) over the hot surface after it had melted and burned to a cinder, he would just scrape off the dry carbon, and presto all the crap came off with it and he was left with a really clean cooking surface. I must point out, that his plate was a large CAST IRON plate, not stainless steel, whether it would do the same job, who knows but would be worth a try.

Salt also works like the salt does. It absorbs and abrades. I would think it would stay relatively clean if it was cleaned every day rather than once a week or month. I know they get fairly burnt, but it should loosen up with heat and water to cook it off. I once saw hydrochloric acid used to clean a stainless stove. Station cooks are not always fussy about clean. That was a bit extreme, but so was the filth. Regular maintenance is the key to keeping it simple. Good luck with that.

We have one of them little SS jobs that seem to get fat every where.. I used a $2 dollar tin of degreaser from auto barn.. then just washed it off with hot water. No smell, I didnt put it on the plate...came up just lovely and clean.....

How about WD40? It says its good for cleaning BBQ's didn't specify stainless though.

Thanks for the info. I do clean it everyday which is why i am after info. If I only cleaned it weekly or monthly it wouldn't be such a drag.

Tezza some caravan parks have cleaning tool like bush and scraper at the BBQ on a small chain which most people use after they use the BBQ could help it with your clean

Hi Guys n Gals, Have you tried good old fashioned lemon juice, we used it for years in the army messes to clean all the grill plates while they were wtill hot, once the gunk was softened we finished off with a stainless scourer and dry clean cloth.... Just my two bobs worth.. Hoo Roo Happy Days Grumpster