The other night I fired up the grill and did a Honey glazed BBQ pork loin. Why yes, it was delicious thank you. I left the lid open while we ate so as to speed up the cooling. After dinner, and the news, I got around to going out and closing it and covering it back up. I flip on the deck lights and there in the middle of the grill sits an opossum. I know, I know everyone thinks they a cute and want to run up and pet it. NO they are one of the ugliest, meanest critters you will ever run into. After asking him politely to leave and waiting, while he decided I was making to much of a fuss, he finally waddled off into the woods. Now the problem, my wife saw him. When I came back in she said sell it, donate, stick out for scrap, but she was not eating anything that touched that grill ever, ever again! How do I clean it? I told her that running all of the burners on high would take it up 700+ degrees and that the Grill Daddy would finish the job with the steam created, but she's still skeptical. Help! I need ideas, the grill's only two years old (Weber Genesis) I don't want to buy another one.

Put a heavy piece of aluminum foil to cover the grill crate completely and place some rocks on top of the foil to prevent the foil from floating then turn on the BBQ to high temp and close the lid. Wait 3-5 mins should be lots of smoke and check grill should be a grey powdery film on it, if not continue for a few minutes more. When done turn off BBQ roll up the foil into a ball and scrub the grill using the foil, voila a nice clean grill. It's like using a self clean oven same principle.

How do I clean it? I told her that running all of the burners on high would take it up 700+ degrees and that the Grill Daddy would finish the job with the steam created, but she's still skeptical. Help! I need ideas, the grill's only two years old (Weber Genesis) I don't want to buy another one.Don't know how high a temp you can get a closed BBQ to achieve.But I would research at 'what temperature' needs to be 'achieved' to effectively kill these diseases:Opossums carry diseases such as leptospirosis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, and Chagas disease. AndThey may also be infested with fleas, ticks, mites, and lice. Opossums are hosts for cat and dog fleas, especially in urban environments. This flea infestation on opossums is particularly concerning for transmission of flea-borne typhus, which is increasing in prevalence in Orange and Los Angeles Counties.http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74123.htmlIf DW reads this forum you might have a new BBQ in your future, sorry! :B

I would soak it in a tub with water and dish soap over night. Scrub it good in the morning and then wash again with soap and hot water. Rinse and then put it back on the BBQ with heat to dry it.Alternative soak would be a bleach solution.By the way opossums are made out of meat....unless you grill Tofu, I'm guessing the grill has been touched by meat before...LOL

icanon wrote:Put a heavy piece of aluminum foil to cover the grill crate completely and place some rocks on top of the foil to prevent the foil from floating then turn on the BBQ to high temp and close the lid. Wait 3-5 mins should be lots of smoke and check grill should be a grey powdery film on it, if not continue for a few minutes more. When done turn off BBQ roll up the foil into a ball and scrub the grill using the foil, voila a nice clean grill. It's like using a self clean oven same principle.X2 and if your bride is still squeemish soak it down with Muriatic acid, a throw away paintbrush (not foam), works well. It will bubble and hiss a bit and take the grill right down to the bare metal. A thorough rinse and you are good to go.:C

That thing is tainted now. You could sanitize it thoroughly but if She wants it gone... it will go.Too bad, that's a nice grill. PM me if it's for sale. FIRST!!! We aren't squeamish.

Cleaning my grill - Help! | Good Sam Community

3_dog_nights
Explorer
Feb 16, 2016
Super Dave, that's the last thing I'd bring up... I like grilled food.
Super_Dave
Explorer
Feb 15, 2016
Ask her how she has managed with all the bacteria on the grill from food particles between cooks all these years.
goreds2
Explorer
Feb 15, 2016
Here is a link to the grill grates. Key in the model number of your grill to be sure they fit.

Weber Grill Grate
RayJayco
Explorer
Feb 15, 2016
Take the grills and put them in a large trash bag. Mix ~1 cup of vinegar with ~1/2 cup baking soda and pour on racks, close trash bag and let it sit over night. You should be able to rinse anything off with garden hose as everything on grill should be loosened.

Typically clean with grill brush when you are ready to use, some people coat the grill with cooking oil to keep food from sticking...

(Vinegar is acidic and baking soda a neutralizer. This should disinfect it. Did you ever make a volcano back in school?...)
wbwood
Explorer
Feb 14, 2016
I say, go get a new grill. Wife wants new grill, why yes! Go get one! lol

We had a gas grill that we didn't use for a long while (couple years). It sat covered up. We decided to start using it again and was gonna go out and clean it up. Opened it up and there was a nest in it. Pulled the nest out and closed it back up. Placed ad on craigslist for free. Guy came and got it. I told him that it had the nest in it. Helped him load it on his trailer. Less than hour later, he emailed me a picture of the grilled fired up. Good luck to him...
tplife
Explorer
Feb 14, 2016
3 dog nights, your wife is right. The possom has to be skinned and gutted, basted with a garlic/rosemary/thyme/salt/pepper/olive oil and grilled for at least an hour. I'm sure she knows about service with collard greens. That meatball just wasn't on the grill long enough to do it justice...no fooling!
3_dog_nights
Explorer
Feb 13, 2016
OK, I ran it up to 700 degrees and left it for 30 minutes, then cleaned with steam and steel brushes,while she supervised, looks like brand new! Tonight I asked her if she wanted me to throw some hot dogs on the grill and she said.....not on that grill. Told me her "friends" convinced her it was "ewww". Then told me to order new grates... at least I get to keep my grill.
Thanks guys.
babun
Explorer
Feb 13, 2016
tbred wrote:
Wow, do you know what's been visiting the picnic tables you sit and eat on?

X2

"Hey Earl, have you read the forums of those stupid bi-peds about
possums on their grills"?????
Jebby14
Explorer
Feb 11, 2016
its a lost cause send it to me
rosspulliam
Explorer
Feb 11, 2016
Every so often to clean my grill I take the grill grate off and the grease trap off (Traeger pellet grill), cover them with oven cleaner and put them in a black garbage bag and set it in the sun for an hour or 2. Hose it off and it looks brand new :).

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