FAQ’s

I didn’t know BBQ cleaning existed! How did you start Prestige BBQ and Oven Cleaning?

Mike Wainwright, the owner/ operator of Prestige BBQ and Oven Cleaning was the FIRST to see there was a need for this service in the Denver metro area during the spring of 2011. While online research showed there to be quite a few BBQ cleaning companies in other states there wasn’t anyone in the Denver Metro area. After many inquiries to businesses that sold grills he quickly realized nobody offered this type of service. He decided to recruit his brother-in-law from Seattle to move to Denver and together they started Denver BBQ Cleaning (now American BBQ Cleaning.) After a short time, they decided to split the company and Mike created Prestige BBQ and Oven Cleaning in the spring of 2012.

How is Prestige BBQ and Oven Cleaning different?

The right equipment – We’ve developed our own unique cleaning system and invested in the top of the line cleaning equipment. While some cleaners around the country decide to clean the grill by manually scrubbing or using a pressure washer, we know these are not the best methods to truly get your grill clean. Scrubbing by hand is tiresome and can’t get all the grease and build-up out of the metal. Pressure washing is way too messy especially if you have a built-in grill next to the house. Most grill manufacturer’s do not recommend pressure washing the grill because it can damage internal parts like the burners, knobs and igniters. We employ a unique environmentally-friendly steam cleaning system that safely and effectively removes years of baked-on grease and carbon deposits transforming your BBQ back to its original beauty.

Cleaning solutions – There are a wide variety of cleaners on the market to degrease and polish your grill. Most cleaners you purchase “off the shelf” are either too weak to clean properly or are caustic and bad for your grill and your health. For your health and benefit, we use only bio-degradable, 100% non-caustic and fume free cleaning products. Our cleaning solutions can outperform any cleaner on the market yet are completely safe for your children and pets as well as the environment.

Quality & Training – After personally cleaning well over a hundred BBQ’s in a short amount of time I’ve learned what are the most effective techniques. Simply scrubbing by hand and a bucket of dirty water will not result in a true cleaning. Prestige takes the extra effort to understand your brand of grill before showing up – No, not all grills are created equal. Different manufacturers use different grades of stainless steel – different grades clean differently. If your grill was made in the USA or overseas will depend on what grade of stainless steel it’s made with. Overseas grills tend to be made from a lesser grade stainless steel and don’t come clean as well as American made grills that use high quality stainless steel. Prestige BBQ and Oven Cleaning is constantly improving our processes and techniques. We want the equipment we use to exceed our customers expectations.

Company Philosophy – Our philosophy is to provide you and your grill a thorough quality cleaning even if it takes us longer than we expected. We pay extra attention to all areas of the grill even those you can’t see. We’re willing to sacrifice profit for quality because we know if we don’t do a job you’re happy with you won’t have us back. We want you to be a customer for life and trust us knowing we will not fail your expectations and will be happy to refer us to your friends and neighbors. Some people have not heard of Prestige BBQ and Oven Cleaning before. primarily because we do minimal advertising. We have had the privilege of benefitting from repeat customers, great referrals and our valued partnerships from local businesses.

What are the benefits of getting a grill cleaned?

A professional grill cleaning safely and effectively removes traces of grease, fat and burnt on carbon deposits sterilizing all cooking surfaces thus eliminating carcinogens and bacteria. Not only does a professional grill cleaning provide health benefits but along with our free 10-point inspection it also protects your investment thru the winter and can extend the life of a grill. By maintaining and cleaning your grill you won’t need to throw it away to buy a new one. A grill cleaning will keep your grill out of the landfills protecting the environment. Our easy and convenient mobile operation saves you time and money; we come to you!

A professional grill cleaning:

  • Removes traces of built up grease preventing possible flare-ups
  • A clean grill is a healthy hygienic grill by removing traces of carcinogens that can transfer to your food
  • Extends the life of your grill by preventing future corrosion
  • Maintains gas efficiency with clean flowing burners

What’s included in your FREE 10-point inspection?

Our FREE 10-point inspection includes:

  1. Testing the ignition system
  2. Inspect firebox for rust or damage
  3. Knobs
  4. Igniters
  5. Hoses and regulator checked for leaks
  6. Burners inspected for rust and damage
  7. Grates and heat plates inspected for rust and damage
  8. Loose screws on lid/ handle or cabinet will be tightened
  9. Venturi Tubes inspected
  10. Gas flow will be checked (upon request)

How much does a BBQ cleaning cost?

Currently, we have two pricing options based on the overall width of your BBQ grill. Click here to go to our Pricing page. The bigger the grill the more surface to clean and the longer it takes us to clean.

Concerned about cost?

We cater to clients who are discerning, quality minded and expect top-notch service and are willing to pay for it because they know their high expectations will be met. We understand that initially you may have concerns about the price of a cleaning but after you learn about the value of the service you are receiving from Prestige BBQ and Oven Cleaning you will understand that you are truly getting a return on your investment. I use the word “investment” because most of our clients have spent a sizeable investment purchasing their outdoor grill and they want to protect that investment. A thorough deep cleaning should be considered like an extended warranty. By using Prestige BBQ and Oven Cleaning we help our quality minded customers protect their investment by not only cleaning but we can also locate potential problem areas during our free 10-point inspection and decide on a reasonable solution before they become too costly to fix.

How do I measure my grill to know how much it will cost to clean?

There is no industry standard dictating every grill manufacturer fabricate to standard width so every brand is different in the way it measures. We base the width of the grill off of the overall width of the cooking surface which includes any side burners. There are grills out there that if we measured where the lid and grates are they would measure 30” wide but the overall cabinet and side burners measure up to 60” wide. For obvious reasons the larger the grill and cabinet the more time it takes us to clean.

Here are a couple of guidelines that can help you measure your grill.

  • If you have wings that fold down, these are not included in the overall width so we would measure the overall cabinet width.
  • If you have two fixed wings, one with a pot burner and one without we would measure from the farthest outside point of the wing with the pot burner to the opposite side of the lid.
  • These are guidelines only. If you are unsure how to measure your grill please feel free to call us we can measure it for you when we arrive for the appointment. If you know the model of your grill, we can typically quote you accurately over the phone.

Disclaimer: If you are unsure of the model and size we will do our best to quote you a price over the phone based off of the information you provide us. At the time of arrival, if your grill is larger than described, we will inform you immediately and give you the opportunity to pay the increased service fee. On the other hand, if your grill is smaller than described, we will charge you for the smaller service fee.

What type of cleaning process do you use?

We’ve developed our own unique and advanced system of steam and soaking that safely and effectively removes all traces of grease and carbon deposits by using the proper cleaners and cleaning techniques. No other BBQ cleaner can guarantee a cleaner BBQ than we can!

What kind of cleaners do you use?

Our cleaners are environmentally friendly, bio-degradable, 100% non-caustic and fume free; they don’t contain any acids that can stain or etch your grill. We have to handle these cleaners all day so it was important to us that not only would they be safe for you, your family and pets but would be safe for us as well.

My grill rolls around. Do you need to move it or take it away to clean it?

No, we make it convenient for you by coming to your home and cleaning your grill wherever you have it located. If your grill is on casters we may move it away from the house to give us a little more room or out of our way to lay a tarp underneath it but we do not remove it from your deck or patio.

I have a built-in grill. How will you protect my stone or tile surround?

We take great care to protect the stone or tile on your island or surround. Even though we don’t make a mess during the cleaning there are times when debris flicks over the side. We not only lay protective tarps and absorbent pads underneath us to create a double layer of protection but we do the same on your stone or tile around the grill. We have no desire to spend extra time and labor cleaning the stains out of your stone surround so we take the measures up front to assure we protect it correctly.

Here is what one of our satisfied customers had to say after we cleaned her built-in grill:

Mike was able to make our very dirty grill look new again. I was amazed how he was able to keep the surrounding area spotless. Definitely worth the money for his service!…Denise H.

I don’t want my deck or patio stained. How will you protect it?

The protection of your deck and patio is our utmost priority. As stated above we lay protective tarps and absorbent pads underneath us to create a double layer of protection between us and your deck or patio.

What do I need to do before Prestige BBQ and Oven Cleaning arrives?

Enjoy a good book, go shopping – basically nothing! We do all the work for you so you can enjoy the time doing the things you need to get done.

The only access to my grill is thru the house. I want my grill cleaned but I don’t want dirt and greased tracked thru the house.

This is not uncommon. If you do not have outside access to your grill please let us know when call to schedule the appointment. During a normal cleaning it is not uncommon for us to go back and forth to our trailer multiple times. If we need to go thru the house we will wear foot protection.

Do you guarantee to remove all the dirt and build-up even on the inside of the grill?

We can guarantee your grill will be cleaner than when we arrived! Unfortunately we cannot guarantee how clean your grill will be once were done. There are so many variables that can affect how clean your grill can get like the age of your grill, how dirty it is, the grade of stainless steel, what type of grilling you do, etc etc. While we can generally get most if not all the grease and build-up what we cannot remove is rust, deep metal burns and age. If there is rust and age on the surface we simply cannot remove it. If you have a Weber grill the cast aluminum fire box is extremely difficult to clean. While you will be able to noticeable see the difference, there will still be black metal burn that cannot be removed.

Why don’t most BBQ cleaners clean the underside of the lid?

The underside of the lid is tough to clean! When speaking to a customer about what they can expect with a cleaning I always qualify that we will clean the underside of the lid but we cannot guarantee that we can get all the black out of the metal. It will be clean and you will see the difference but it is very difficult to get 100% clean. Because different manufacturers use different types of metal and heat shields we simply cannot guarantee we can get all the burnt black out of the metal. Depending on the size of the lid and type of heat shield used it can add an additional ½ hour to the cleaning time. The reason why most cleaners do not clean the underside of the lid is because this is where they can save time and money. They will tell you that it will just turn black after the first use so why bother. The reality is it is just too tough for them to clean by hand scrubbing and they don’t want to spend the additional time doing it. Yes, you’re lid will turn black again over time but it will not do so after the first use. We clean the underside of the lid because we can and it’s still part of the grill isn’t it?

What if I have rust on my stainless steel lid or inside the fire box?

Rust, on stainless steel? I thought stainless steel didn’t rust? Stainless steel does rust and can show signs of pitting and (Read this blog post). Again, depending on the manufacturer and where it was made will depend on the grade of stainless steel used. The lesser the grade of stainless steel used will yield a lid that is more prone to rusting. If your lid or firebox has significant rust damage it may require replacement. In the case of the firebox rust damage may not be noticeable till we begin to scrape away the ash and debris. If the damage is too severe we will stop the cleaning and will let you inspect the damage to determine if you feel the cleaning is necessary.

httpv://youtu.be/nTj85E7N-LY

I have scratches on my stainless steel lid, can you remove them?

Yes we can. By using our patented stainless steel scratch removal system we can remove most surface scratches from your stainless steel lid. This would be an additional service cost and will be quoted after inspection. Please ask us about this service when you call to schedule an appointment.

The paint on the inside of my lid is peeling, what can you do?

This is a common problem AND a common misconception. The underside of your lid is not painted. “Wait! I remember my lid being painted black when I purchased it”. You’re correct, if you have a Weber grill, there’s a chance the underside of the lid was a shiny black that looked like paint but it’s actually baked on ceramic. Unless you decided to use that BBQ spray paint and paint the underside of your lid yourself chances are it’s not painted. What you are seeing is a build-up of soot. Depending on the amount of cooking you do, the temperature you cook with, if you’re gas flow and output is set right, if you cook with a lot of sauces that produce smoke and age of your grill, all of these can produce a build-up of soot. The soot peels over time just like paint will when it dries and cracks and begins to peel away from the surface. The soot is normal and is not a major concern – might not taste good though. We can easily remove the soot and in most cases; especially on Weber’s we have been able to transform your lid back to almost new.

My grill is very old and has never been cleaned. Should I throw it away and buy a new one?

That’s certainly you’re decision but I would suggest to get it cleaned and you might find it doesn’t look as old as it did before we arrived. Everyone thinks their grill is the worst we’ve ever seen – in some cases their right 🙂 And in all cases they have been ecstatic with the results of the cleaning. I’ve never had a customer tell me they wish they would have thrown the grill out instead of having me clean it. A cleaning certainly costs less than a new grill and isn’t it better to keep the grill out of the landfills?

Do you clean charcoal BBQ’s and smokers?

Charcoal BBQ’s and smokers are a different type of cleaning and don’t clean the same as a gas grill. At this time we do not clean charcoal BBQ’s and smokers.

Do you carry spare parts?

No, we do not carry spare parts but we work closely with a few local suppliers that we can recommend to you.

How long will it take to clean my grill?

Depending on the size of your grill you should expect a cleaning to take approximately 2 to 2-1/2 hrs. If your grill is especially dirty, it may take longer.

Can I use my grill after your done?

Absolutely! We want you to use your grill after were done or there wouldn’t be any reason to have us back again. After soaking the grates in our steam bath we rinse them off with clean water and dry them. The only thing we tell our customers is they might want to spray some PAM cooking spray on the grates or wipe them with an Olive oil because the food may want to stick a little more at first. Other than that you’re grill is ready to use as soon as we leave.

Why should I pay to have my grill cleaned, I just spray my grill down with oven cleaner.

We realize some people (mostly men) choose to clean their grill themselves. Heck, it’s a man thing right? We also realize cleaning the grill is a very dirty job, it’s extremely difficult, laborious and takes a lot of time to get done. That’s why there are chemicals and cleaners on the supermarket shelves that claim to be for BBQ’s and grills to help you in the fight against grease! We urge you to read the labels to make sure they do not contain toxic chemicals; most of the chemicals should not be inhaled and require the use of heavy glovesKitchenaid BBQ Grill and eye protection. It’s not uncommon for people to want to use oven cleaner to clean their BBQ. Oven cleaner should not be used on a BBQ especially on a stainless steel grill. We’ve cleaned a few stainless steel grills where oven cleaner had been used and each time the stainless steel had been permanently stained. This beautiful KitchenAid stainless steel grill was sprayed with oven cleaner. The homeowner did not wash the cleaner off and let it sit for days. When I arrived, I did my best to clean it away but it did stain and damage the stainless steel – oven cleaner eats away the surface to attack the grease and will permanently damage your grill if left on too long. (Read this blog post)

What can I do to maintain my grill after you leave?

This is another question we get a lot. There are a few things we recommend you can do in between cleanings but no matter how diligent you are there will come a time where the grease and build-up is too much to control and a professional cleaning will be required again.

  • Keep your gill covered when not in use
  • Use a clean wire brush after you grill to remove the food particles – especially if you cook with sauces. Don’t let the sauce sit on the grates, they can contain acids and may cause rust
  • Clean out your drip tray
  • Occasionally soak your grates in a tub of hot water and dish detergent. This will help loosen the tough baked-on particles.
  • To help prevent rust, wipe your grates down with a PAM spray or olive oil.

I spent a lot of money on my grill. How will a professional BBQ cleaning protect my investment?

Let’s face it. Unless you are an avid griller who enjoys taking the grill apart to clean it yourself your probably like most people and don’t remove the grates and heat plates unless you absolutely have to. If you’re like most people you might not know you have a problem until something doesn’t work. A professional cleaning will help protect your investment. With our free 10-point inspection and removing all of the removable components to deep clean them your cleaner will be able to inspect all major components where potential problems may arise.

  • Burners
  • Hoses
  • Igniters

By cleaning the grease away he will also be able to inspect for rust and loose screws.

How often should I get my grill cleaned?

This is one of the most common questions we get asked. We have some customers who choose to get their grill cleaned quarterly, some twice a year and some once a year. We suggest at least twice a year – once in late fall or early spring and once in the summer. If you close down your grill for the winter than get it cleaned before you shut it down. We suggest booking your appointment early in the spring because the summer time is our busiest and available appointment times can be a couple of weeks out. We always recommend getting it cleaned before that big backyard party or any one of the special BBQ cooking holidays – Father’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day.

What other services do you offer?

We are proud to be Denver Colorado’s first professional oven cleaning service as well as the first to provide stainless steel scratch removal on appliances. Please see our services page for more information or ask us about them when you call to schedule an appointment.

What forms of payment do you accept?

For your convenience we accept all forms of payment – Cash, Credit Cards, Checks. For all credit card orders we do add a 3% surcharge to the total transaction due to the processing fee we get charged.