Lynsey Crombie's genius newspaper trick is the easiest way to clean a BBQ –ready for the long weekend

The Queen of Clean has given us another natural method to get the grill sparkling clean with minimal effort

Compilation image of an outdoor kitchen and Lynsey Crombie to support Lynsey's newspaper steaming cleaning hack
(Image credit: Future | Lynsey Crombie)

With the long weekend ahead, we're all getting ready to venture out into the garden and enjoy some well-deserved downtime. One of the first tasks to tackle will be prepping the BBQ, and thanks to Lynsey Crombie's genius newspaper hack, giving it a clean will take no time at all – and very little effort.

We thought we had all the natural cleaning methods covered in our comprehensive guide to cleaning the BBQ, until we spotted that This Morning's resident home expert and TV presenter Lynsey Crombie has an even quicker remedy to 'steam' clean the grill to make it shiny like new.

Try Lynsey Crombie's newspaper trick to steam a BBQ

Hopefully, as it's the start of BBQ season, your grill will emerge this weekend needing only a quick steam to spruce it up and be ready to cook, and for that, Lynsey's savvy newspaper hack is just the thing.

In her social media video, she explains how to do it with ease, explaining, "Place damp newspaper over warm grates, close the lid and let it steam. After 10 minutes, grime wipes away easily."

Aside from a sheet of used newspaper, all you need is a brush or BBQ cleaning tool to wipe it down post-steam.

In addition to her steam-cleaning trick, Lynsey shares four alternative, all-natural cleaning methods to ensure your food remains chemical-free.

After cutting an onion in half, she suggests rubbing it onto "Hot grates using a fork (so not to burn your hands), the natural juices help break down burnt-on residue and add antibacterial benefits."

To clean with baking soda, Lynsey instructs: "Mix with a little water to form a paste, apply to grills and trays. Leave to sit, then scrub off stubborn grease."

Rather humourously, she suggests using beer: "Pour a little over warm grill grates, the acidity helps loosen grease, then scrub with a brush or cloth."

And lastly, she suggests cleaning with lemons. "Cut in half and rub over warm grills to cut through grease and leave everything smelling fresh."

Lynsey Crombie's newspaper trick to steam a BBQ

Lynsey knows how to make cleaning simple and effective

(Image credit: Instagram | Lynsey Crombie)

In addition to being a regular presenter on This Morning Lynsey is a published author, her best-selling book 'The 15 Minute Clean' is available to buy from Amazon – so you need never miss another savvy cleaning tip to make life a little easier.


If you are firing up the BBQ this weekend, it's worth sorting the garden out first to ensure your plot is ready to host in style.

You might also appreciate our food editor's recommended BBQ dishes for the Bank holiday – from prawns to panna cotta, this four-dish grill menu proves alfresco entertaining doesn't have to be complicated.

Tamara Kelly
Lifestyle Editor

Tamara is a highly experienced homes and interiors journalist with a career spanning over 23 years. Now the Lifestyle Editor of womanandhome.com, she previously spent 19 years working with the style teams at Country Homes & Interiors and Ideal Home. With these award-winning interior teams, she gained a wealth of knowledge and honed her skills and passion for styling and writing about every aspect of lifestyle and interiors.

A true homes and interiors expert, Tamara has been an ambassador for leading interior brands on multiple occasions, including appearing on Matalan’s The Show and presenting at top interior trend forecasting events such as the Autumn Fair and Spring Fair.

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