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[pmillen]

In his thread on rebuilding an abused Yoder pit, Dan mentions a solution he used to clean the cooking grates.

I used my garbage bag trick in the sun filled with 5 cups of ammonia and 5 cups of vinegar with baking soda for the grates... and then took them (and then heat deflector to the local car wash - I am sure they will love me for that!).  After a good blast and then wire brushing the heck out of them they turned out like new!

Dan, I need to try this on a piece.  Questions–

• Did you immerse the grates in the mixture or did the fumes clean them?
• How much baking soda for the 5-cups of ammonia and vinegar?
• Would painting it on items too large to fit in a trash bag be effective?

His thread is worth reading.  You can find it here.

I ran out of elbow grease so am interested in any other member suggestions for less labor-intensive crud removal.

[bucky919]

I use 6 cups ammonia, 6 cups vinegar, 2 cups baking soda. Just shake the bag good to coat them, it should foam up pretty good. Or I have had good luck just scrubbing them with ammonia, just takes more elbow grease.

[TechMOGogy]

1. The grates just sort of sat in some of it, but I did like Bucky and just shook the bag to coat and then flipped every once and a while to recoat.
2. I just tossed a bunch in, did not measure (also guessed at how much 5 cups of Amonia and vinegar was )
3. It may help but I think the keys with the bag are A. soaking in it, B. the fumes in the bag and C. the heat of leaving it in a black bag in the full sun.

Ultimately I did scrub with a brush a bit in the end but it was much less.
Good luck!

[sleebus.jones]

I ran out of elbow grease so am interested in any other member suggestions for less labor-intensive crud removal.

Set grill to 500, let run for a few hours until it stops smoking.  Brush out/off ash.

[pmillen]

Set grill to 500, let run for a few hours until it stops smoking.  Brush out/off ash.

Great idea!  I think I did that a few years ago.  I don't recall the outcome so, at least, it wasn't bad.  I may do this first.

Do you think that will also clean a stainless steel griddle?

[TechMOGogy]

Other option is to put into a self cleaning oven - just be sure 1. your wife is not home and 2. you have lots of windows open

For my SS griddle I use a wire wheel on my angle grinder each Spring

[okie smokie]

Cook em at 500 for 30 min.  Wire brush them. When cool, soak overnight in your favorite concoction. They usually scrub clean after that. If they are stainless steel. Rarely do that, as I scrape the tops well after every cook.  But eventually the bottoms are gummy and have stalagtites.