Outdoor kitchens are a wonderful idea for your backyard. They will not only entertain your guests, but provide you an additional kitchen where you can enjoy outdoor meals. When you have an outdoor kitchen, you will want to make sure that you keep it very clean and tidy, just like your indoor kitchen. Below are 7 tips on how to keep your outdoor kitchen clean and properly maintained.
- Cleaning your Grill
It is easy to forget about cleaning your grill. You may just give it a quick swipe with the brush when you get ready to grill something on it. However, periodically your grill will need a deep cleaning. This includes making sure you inspect and clean all aspects of the grill. This means looking at the burners, hoses, and valves. You will want to clean the burners periodically. Take a stiff brush to ensure that you get any gunk that has built up. Your flame will tell you if your grill burners need to be cleaned. A normal flame from a gas grill will be blue with a yellow tip. If you see an all yellow flame, you will want to take a look at the grill. If the burners are full of gunk, it could cause this issue. During cleaning, you will also want to inspect your grill. Sometimes, in the changing temperatures, grills can expand and contract. This can lead to cracking or splitting. Inspect your grill periodically to ensure that it has not had any issues.
- Be gentle when Cleaning
Many outside kitchens have stainless steel appliances. While stainless steel is durable, you will want to be careful when you use them. Use a cutting board when you are preparing things for the grill. Also, you will want to avoid putting hot pans, cast iron pans, or anything else on the appliances for long amounts of time. They can cause corrosion as well as staining. To clean a stainless steel surface, you will only want to use soapy water. Do not use any other chemical cleaners or scrubs. This could harm the stainless steel surface. You will want to make sure that you dry the surface completely. Never use any kind of scrubbing tool with steel wool. Bits of the steel wool can become embedded in your appliance. This can then discolor and rust, making your appliance look terrible.
- Don’t Forget your Fireplace
If you have an outdoor fireplace in your outdoor kitchen, you will want to make sure that you keep it neat too. You will want to make sure that you remove the ashes from your fireplace after use. Build up of ashes can cause problems for your fireplace and make it look terrible. Consider getting a cover for your chimney. Your chimney is not sealed like the outside is, and that can lead to damage from debris and water. It is also a good idea to clean your chimney out with a wire brush once a year. If you do not want to do this, you should consider hiring a chimney sweep company to do it for you.
- Clean the Countertops
Your outdoor countertops are generally granite or stone, and they are extremely easy to clean. They come in a wide variety of colors, and this is what makes them so popular. You will have a broad variety of Outdoor Kitchens Unique Design Brisbane. However, it is important to remember that both granite and stone are porous. This means that they can stain easily if you do not take proper care of them. If you are very concerned about stains, you can have your countertops sealed. However, if you wipe up spills immediately, you should have nothing to worry about. Consider a countertop cover if you have an exposed outdoor kitchen in the winter. This will help protect your countertops from ice and snow.
- Protection from the Elements
Pay attention to your weather. If your weather is going to bad, with heavy wind and rain, you may want to consider bringing in some of your items like your furniture. High winds can blow your furniture around causing damage. Items like grills can also be thrown around during a bad storm. If you are expecting a heavy snowstorm, you may also want to have a storage place for your outdoor kitchen items to protect them.
- No pets
Consider not allowing pets in your outdoor kitchen. Pets can scratch furniture, and do damage to items like the grill. You may want to consider putting a fence around your outdoor kitchen if it is open to where any animal can get to it. In some cases, you will find that dogs or cats will get in, and their hair will get everywhere. They could also use the bathroom around your furniture or on your furniture. You will also need to make sure that you do what you can to keep mice, rats, and birds away from all of your cooking space. Make sure that all of your utensils are placed in a secure place, and that you never leave food anywhere that might attract an animal.
- Cover your Outdoor Kitchen
If you have an open outdoor kitchen, you may want to consider having a roof system put over it to cover it. While it is great to be out in the sun, there will be times that you will want to cook outdoors only for an afternoon storm to pop up. If you have your outdoor kitchen, covered, it will allow you and your guests an area to enjoy eating while the storm passes over. Having a roof system will also help protect your furniture and your grill from harsh storms and winter weather. There are several covering options that you can do for your kitchen. You could decide to do a permanent roof, or you could do a temporary roof. This roof system will also help to keep dirt, leaves, and debris out of your kitchen.
Doing some of the tips above will help you to have a clean and well-maintained kitchen. Remember to take your time and clean the area properly, so that your outdoor kitchen will last forever.