Cleaning Your Deck For A Fun BBQ

Having a BBQ can be a lot of fun but having a lot of people over can be stressful as you need to get your yard ready for your guests. Having a deck that looks old or one that is quite dirty from rainstorms and general use can be embarrassing. However it’s easy to take care of your deck with something simple like a power wash with a quality pressure washer.

Caring for an outdoor kitchen or BBQ does require you to have the right tools. To purchase a quality pressure washer click here. It also important to purchase the following items:

• Grill Brush
• Grill Dozer
• BBQ grill cleaner
• Stainless steel cleaner (for outdoor kitchens made of stainless steel)
• Deck cleaner

After purchasing the right supplies, clean the grill first. This is important as there will be some burnt food and other things that can come out of the grill and it’s easy to push them right off your deck with the pressure washer.

To clean a grill

1. Remove the cooking grates and clean with a grill brush to remove foods that are built up on it. BBQ grill cleaner also works well to break down the old food particles.
2. Remove the coal grate for a charcoal grill or remove the lava rocks in a gas grill.
3. Using the grill cleaner, spray down the entire inside of the grill. Wipe clean with an old towel.
4. If there is still a lot of charcoal leftovers and burnt food, use a bucket with soapy water to help scrub it down with an old towel.
5. Use the grill dozer to shave off the ash that is stuck to the inside walls of the grill. Scrub the walls with the steel grill brush to help remove the rest of the ash and other things that have been stuck to the walls.
6. Once it dries, replace the charcoal or lava rocks with new ones and assemble the cooking grates again.
7. Do not use your grill until it completely dries!

If you clean it at least once a month and cover it when you are not using it, your grill will remain much cleaner and will be easier for you to properly maintain.

To clean a deck

Now that your grill is ready, it’s time to tackle the deck.

1. Use a broom to sweep up the ash from your recent cleaning of the BBQ grill along with other debris on the deck.
2. Use a pressure washer to spray the deck with a first rinse. The pressure used to clean the deck will be about 1500 PSI. If you have soft wood deck, be careful as it can cause damage to it. Start with a lower setting and slowly adjust it higher in order to get the right type of clean for your deck.
3. Pour a soap and water mixture on the deck and use an old brush or sponge to scrub in a circular motion. Allow the soap to sit on the deck for about 5 minutes before rinsing clean with the pressure washer.
4. For hard stains on the deck, use a stiff bristle brush. There are deck cleaner solutions that can be used to help remove stains from the deck.
5. Choose the right technique for how you want your deck to be cleaned. There are several to choose from:
   1. Sweeping – cleaning from the house side out.
   2. Feathering – cleaning by overlapping areas that have already been sprayed
   3. Long Sweep – using a fan you will walk it along the length of the various boards on the deck. It is best for decks that do not have railings.
   4. Allow your deck to dry before determining if the deck needs to be stained or painted.

Now your deck and BBQ are both clean and ready for a fun gathering with friends or family members!