How To Clean A Traeger - Ace Hardware

[@DesertMotorSales]

I've owned my Traeger for nearly 20 years. I don't clean it often enough. But thanks to your video, I'll clean it today. This Traeger is responsible for me getting fat.

[@willywill222]

Thanks for the awesome video and advice. Just one thing everyone is aware do not use the wire brush on the grates. The grates have a porcelain coat on it. The wire brush will ruin it and you will have to buy new grates in the future. I called Traeger and they said not to use a wire brush. They recommend a wood type brush or a heavy duty nylon brush like the blue one he uses.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Hi Willy, the grill brush im using is a nylon brush with a bit of abrasive in it. works great on the grates and I have been using this plus wire brushes for years without any issues. Good call playing it safe, but those grates are tough!! Chef Jason

[@ParadigmUnkn0wn]

If a wire brush ruins your grill grates, you have a cheap grill. This is why uncoated cast iron grates are superior.

[@thisguy7201]

Or you can just put the grates in the dishwasher and not worry about any brush 😂😂

[@billmatuszewski9928]

Spend years cleaning instead of cooking this is a joke

[@jockspice]

I will employ this level of enthusiasm when cleaning my grill :) Great video!

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Ha Ha, the happier you are, the cleaner the grill will be. or something like that. lol. Thanks for watching, Happy Grilling

[@ludybrosentertainment6197]

I became a proud owner of a Traegar in September and started making trips to Ace for supplies. Now the folks there know me by name. Thanks for this vid!

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Very welcome. Congrats on the new grill and happy cooking. Chef Jason

[@jasonwojcik2924]

I am researching Traeger grills and found this video. From my research, I wasn't convinced to buy one. After seeing how ridiculously easy it is to clean, I am SOLD! I use those paint scrapers when something mysteriously sticks to my cast iron skillets. Awesome multitasker! Thank you for the video Ace really is the HELPFUL place!

[@ryanscottnix]

Ya, I'm going to pick one of those scrapers up myself! I've owned a Traeger now for a few years, and have been very happy with it.

[@moistenthelips5788]

what I love about this video.... practical girl and a practical after product. so many grills after the cleaning look show room floor new again and it just discourages a lot of people. great video.

[@etudelover]

This is very helpful. We got a Traeger lately but had no clue how to clean it. Thank you for the step-by-step video.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Mia P very welcome. Let us know what else we can help with. Traeger on!!! Chef J

[@Dydreth]

New Traeger owner here. I really appreciate the walk through for my first cleaning.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Very welcome. Happy cooking. Chef Jason

[@andreasmith3216]

I’m heading to ACE and attempting to clean today. I can’t thank you enough for the clear and precise instructions!

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Very welcome, happy cleaning. Chef Jason

[@mmherman]

Thanks. Our Treager was having issues starting. Then it caught on fire. I watched your video, and started cleaning. It was full of ash, and unburnt pellets. Once cleaned, it fired up like a champ. Thanks for the help.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Very welcome, thanks for watching. glad it helped and has you back on track to happy Traegering

[@NinjqDogz1]

Hahaha, same. I just cleaned mine, then watched the video to make sure I was good to go. Great video, and it shows you that it needs a regular cleaning.

[@markheasley]

Hey guys, new pellet grilling so these videos are very helpful. Just purchased a pro 780 and am figuring it out as I go. Keep up with the videos I’ll be a barbecue chef in no time thanks.

[@AceHardware]

You are on the way to a culinary adventure! Thanks for tuning in! We're always taking ideas for future videos from comments.

[@tomgates316]

A 99c addition to your cleaning kit that I find extremely useful. One of Ace’s 1 1/2 inch toss out paint brushes. Cheap hair on almost a paint stir stick handle. I use it to brush all that clingy ash off the sides and down into the bottom of the grill before using the vacuum. Also great in getting ash away from that crevice along the auger cover and bottom of the grill. Unless you brush some really greasy stuff, the 99c brush will last the season. Or longer. Thanks for a great video covering the necessary basics.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Tom Gates that’s a great idea for sure. Thanks for sharing, I’ll be adding that to the mix. So much easier for sure.

[@srreedrnmkr]

On my fifth Traeger but learned some great tips; after learning the hard-way; will clean regularly now every 5 to six cooks. Thank you.

[@AceHardware]

Thanks for watching! Regular cleaning can only help it get hotter, faster! Happy Traegering!

[@faeryfox6253]

Useful. Love my Traeger. Did not know about the Traeger spray. Will hop down to ACE and get me some.

[@robadams9523]

Just bought a Traeger and really appreciate your video!

[@ChefJasonMorse]

thanks Rob, happy cooking. let us know what else we can help with. Chef Jason

[@deanh4549]

Very thorough. The information in this video is very helpful.

[@gregmccanless4362]

Great instructions. I was well over due cleaning my grill because every spare moment I had was working on my outside kitchen/hangout. But now that’s done as well as cleaning up the grill. Never will I let it go like that again. Love the Traeger and love using it. Thanks for the advice and happy grilling Chef J.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Thanks Greg for the compliment. Hope your Traeger adventures are going great. Happy cooking, chef jason

[@markchandler2688]

Thanks much for this great video! I am a new Treager owner, and this was helpful. Top down, from now on!

[@wrobertjacobson2048]

Hello from Southern Alberta. We use a really older model by Traeger that we souped up by replacing the temperature control panel with a dial control with about eight or ten settings. It transformed our whole attitude about smokers. W3 are finding we can cook almost anything we want. With increased use comes increased cleaning which I do probably monthly or more if we use it more. I watched the video and am happy to say I have been doing pretty well everything covered and must agree it is prolonging the life of this old Traeger. Thanks for confirming what we are doing.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

You are welcome. Thanks for watching. Chef Jason

[@TechJWaffleStomp]

Very helpful, got a 780 Pro not too long ago and want to keep it new. Thank you!

[@giuliananakashima4370]

This was very helpful. I was doing way more than I needed to keep our Timberline clean. Very helpful. NOW- need to have Ace Hardware (where I bought our grills) do more of the Traeger master cook classes. Last time before I could sign up locally all sold out. More please.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Giuliana Nakashima thanks for the comments. What Ace store is close to you, maybe our tour will bring us to your area. The Traeger Shop classes are very popular and fill fast, but now we have our own Ace Hardware Skills class rolling around the nation. :-)

[@giuliananakashima4370]

The Ace hardware is in Mount Vernon/Burlington, Wa Kaptein Ace Hardware on Riverside drive. Would love to know about the Ace Hardware Traeger skills class.

[@UniteChopRise]

I have used this video 3 times so far haha I love it ! Well done !!

[@AceHardware]

Awesome! Thank you for watching John!

[@guitarnotions]

Helpful!!! Thank you. Also...I did not know there was a place to store the temp probe. I also did not know what the tab was for on the liner. I thought it was to cover the slope to the bucket. Lol. It’s the little details that really help. Something the manual does not cover

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Very welcome Cindy. Hope you are cooking some amazing things on your Traeger. Chef Jason

[@Weaseliestweasel]

Thanks for a video about how to vacuum

[@mwilkins32]

Great info! Thank you New Traeger owner and this helped alot!

[@AceHardware]

Happy to help!

[@aussieblokeskitchen1536]

Great video and I’ve found a great way to clean the grill grates is to soak them in the bath tub with hot water, laundry and dishwashing liquid for a few hours and all the left over material just falls off. 👍

[@ChefJasonMorse]

I don’t recommend soaking them in water and detergent, it will cause them to rust out faster and also cause you to get yelled at by whoever enjoys taking baths in the house. I like to give them a good scrub and then use my QSwiper for the final surface clean

[@aussieblokeskitchen1536]

5280 Culinary - Chef Jason Morse Hi Jason, sorry mate I forgot to add that I have the Timberline 1300 racks which are stainless.

[@scrapheapofshame]

@@aussieblokeskitchen1536 and you're not married correct :) ( but yea, I agree on the soaking things in dish washer detergent, esp. cascade. it will take anything off.)

[@bbqbubba4904]

Nice Video! I started using a pickle jar in the bucket instead of the drip tray liner. That way I can cap the jar and it doesn't spill or has bugs all in it. Works so much better!

[@AceHardware]

Nice tip BBQ Bubba!

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Great idea, thanks for the tip.

[@fixit4182]

BBQ Bubba thats a good idea, I will copy you

[@JamesBWestI]

Very helpful in what to use and what products works best. The little tips were the Best!

[@heavenlyhandsak]

Thank you for your video! It was all I needed to know and I loved the presentation. Well done!

[@AceHardware]

Thanks for watching!

[@carriad11]

Greetings from Nova Scotia, Canada. From everything I've learned from food safety training if you are not cleaning your bbq grill/smoker on a very regular basis you are dancing with death! Great video!

[@ryanbrand3946]

We have 50 year old smokers that have never been cleaned.

[@ebgbjo2025]

Was happy to find this as we just got our first Traeger delivered by Ace today. Looking forward to testing it out later this week.

[@skillet4068]

Nice thorough presentation here!

[@dexomatic6962]

This guy is very helpful. Very thorough as well. Thanks ACE

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Dexomatic you are very welcome. Thanks for watching

[@rockyrodgers9087]

thanks for the info, a new traeger owner so thanks for the tips

[@larrymcafee7481]

Very, very helpful! My project for Saturday.

[@carlenearchuleta5455]

My first Traeger and ACE was by far the best place to purchase it! Now to find these helpful videos by ACE as well you will keep my business Great video for the beginners 🙂

[@AceHardware]

Thanks Carlene! We put a new BBQ video out every week, so make sure you subscribe! Have some fun cookie videos coming up. :)

[@jimmyhiggins3067]

Great video thanks, I love my Traeger thinking of upgrading to a ironwood or Timberline thanks again

[@ChefJasonMorse]

The Ironwood is so amazing. Do it. I approve. :-). ChefJason

[@glassjawrx1351]

The new king of QVC!

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Ha ha. Chef Jason

[@Chris-wp3ew]

Tip: buy (or use) a vacuum that you're going to dedicate to grill cleaning. You can never get the smokey/ashy smell out of the hose etc. I tried to use one vac for the grill as well as car care but didn't like that smokey smell. I didn't want to impart any of that smell into the car mats (or garage).. I retired my older car care vacuum and now use it only for the grill and bought a new one for car care. I keep the old one out in my grilling area in a large plastic storage bin (where I keep all my pellets, wood chips, fire starters etc).

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Hi Chris, totally a great point. This little guy is my grill vacuum. That BBQ smell sticks around forever. Hope you are enjoying your traeger. Chef jason

[@lisarogers8278]

Awesome! I'm headed to ACE to get my supplies and clean my Traeger now!

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Happy Cleaning. :-) Chef Jason

[@tgottwalt]

Hey, great video! Just what I needed to maintain my Traeger grill!

[@anthonycash8172]

Does anybody else get a little hint of some Chris Farley love it thanks for the tips guys

[@bnflo1208]

BIg Tom Callahan here!

[@danvasarella8735]

Matt Foley as a pit master instead of a motivational speaker! I love it

[@enrrios21]

Thanks for the cleaning tips on a traeger! Just need the painting tool and latex gloves and I'm good to go. 👍

[@victorcamilleri8181]

Hi my name is sharon thank you so much for showing me how to clean my Traeger Ironwood 885 👍

[@ChefJasonMorse]

You are very welcome, happy cooking. Chef Jason

[@trentonleague]

New Traeger owner. Love the videoS. Just one small thought on the video production though. When you do the pop up tips, leave them on the screen for longer so we have time to read them and maybe make the contrast letters to background easier to see. Other than that great stuff. Thanks 👍

[@AceHardware]

Thanks for watching Trenton and thanks for the feedback!

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Hi Trenton, great points, we have adjusted all of that in our videos since around Feb 2020. Thanks for watching, were always ready to do better for sure. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason

[@harefam]

Thanks. Very helpful. “Ace is the place”!!

[@Bogeyman19Was4BraindeadPeople]

You’re a well programmed solider.

[@hermaninc]

Thanks for the video. I just got my first Traeger for Christmas. And can’t wait to start using it. Now I’ll be able to take care of it properly.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

shane s you are welcome. Happy cooking. Please let us know if we can help with anything else. Chef J

[@WFrench-w5c]

Great Tutorial. Thanks for the tips.

[@ryanscottnix]

Jason Morse is a national treasure.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Ha Ha, I've been saying that for years. Thanks for watching and happy cooking. Chef Jason

[@joeyates9197]

Thanks much for the tips!! New owner here!!

[@Momshelper47]

All great advice and an excellent walk through. Planning on purchasing an Ironwood 650 @ Ace today. I find it so strange that it doesn’t have an ash cup! Love the design of this model for easy clean up compared to our former Camp Chef model. Great idea on the dedicated mini shop vac! Will purchase the nylon scrubber, spray cleaner, and tray liners. Got in a good habit cleaning our old one regularly, really helps to have the right supplies, so ty for covering all of those items & more!

[@CharlesBelden-c1e]

Tremendous content and presentation.

[@AceHardware]

Thanks for watching Charles!

[@ernestsanchez7603]

Thanks for the cleaning tips. Recently bought a Pro 780 but, i think QVC's Bio-Clean works better than the Traeger cleaner.

[@AceHardware]

Hi Ernest, thanks for the feedback!

[@benkeyes4438]

Don't have my 575 yet, but now I'm up to speed on the care it it. Cheers.

[@ThePiergeiron]

Really great video, super performance and such a font of knowledge. I'll keep that in mind when it comes to cleaning.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Thank you for the nice compliment. Have a great time and happy cooking. Chef Jason

[@TheBushwacker7]

I recommend using a "Grill Daddy" grill brush for cleaning. Using it on a hot grill immediately after removing the food results in a steam cleaned grill grate.

[@blazerplano9421]

What a great video. Traeger should hire you to do their videos... as good a company as they are, their resources for maintenance are terrible.

[@AceHardware]

What a wonderful comment! Thanks for watching!

[@paulhyde4937]

I thought my traegar was filthy now I feel much better seeing yours. Thanks for the video

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Ha Ha, we cook a ton on these grills for sure. Battle tested. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason

[@evonline]

@@ChefJasonMorse I am way too much of a perfectionist. I actually appreciate seeing people do things quickly but adequately. Brings me back down to earth.

[@nbvideo1]

Excellent video! Thank you so much!

[@johnperrone3907]

Thanks for the great tips

[@KC9RQI]

I found that an easy way to remind how long I’m cooking is to use an app. A new one came out that works well for me called pellet grill minder.

[@AceHardware]

Great tip!

[@WillFindlay]

Awesome tips! I never realized that slot was where you keep the temperature probe! Is that how the drip sheets go in though? I thought the lip on the end was to carry grease out.

[@WillFindlay]

I admit I went and bought half this stuff over the weekend. Correction, my wife bought it for me for Christmas.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Hi will, the drip tray liners go in with the lip to hold the liner in place on the logo orientation will always be facing up when properly installed. Happy Grilling, Chef Jason

[@SL1CK1307]

The traeger cleaner is actually really good

[@danna140]

Fricken Awesome...thanks a lot 🙏👍💪🤜👊🤛

[@titanniki412]

I cleaned my friends today. I vacuum, also blew thru auger area. I wipe it down with water. She is very happy.

[@AceHardware]

Way to be helpful Titan!

[@algonawasuhrs2193]

Thank you... The video was very informative.

[@rickkroeger798]

Great video.

[@p3bbq396]

Love the paint tool tip!✅✅

[@ekimsniggih]

Great video Jeff! Thank you!

[@PacemakerandButtons]

finally got mine coming. thank for the info

[@ilonagyunashyan1075]

Thanks so much for this video soooo helpful!

[@AceHardware]

Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching!

[@irainkoolaidTTV]

if you clean out the fuel part where the pellets sit, wont you have to go through the initial startup process again ?

[@ChefJasonMorse]

The pellets will fill in that void when I refill the hopper. All good as long as you don’t suck out the entire contents of the auger. Chef Jason

[@realtoast7036]

Very helpful. A while back, I cooked a couple pounds of bacon, not realizing the opening to the drip tray became clogged and all that fat ended up in the barrel. I didn't know this until it began leaking onto to my patio. Worse, the fat had collected on the right side, underneath the auger chute. I'm guessing there's about a cup-and-a-half of bacon fat sitting there. I'm not seeing how I can remove the heat canister and auger chute to get underneath to swab out all that fat. Any tips?

[@ChefJasonMorse]

What model Traeger do you have?

[@psych101436]

Love your videos. Always super helpful, educational and interesting.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

psych101436 thank you for watching and for the nice compliment. Happy Cooking

[@patrickscott1557]

Great video, thanks for posting!

[@Yoav76]

Excellent cleaning guide!! Thank you for this video :-)

[@AceHardware]

Thanks for watching! Happy traegering!

[@Yoav76]

@@AceHardware :-)

[@barbaracotto-perez740]

Great presentation, loved it

[@erokbrewmeister9231]

Dude check your audio levels...went from quiet to explosive loud several times.... use the editing software bro, it does everything for you. Good Vid !

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Thanks Erok, we now use Mics and full editing software. this video was shot in 2019 when our approach to videos was very organic. We've improved everything in our videos since Feb of 2020. Thanks, Chef Jason

[@WldLifePicTkr]

Great video & energy- will have to get Another paint scraper! Will Mean Grean used to clean the outside not damage/ruin the finish?

[@dougenyart9243]

I have had my traeger for a couple of years what I do to clean is the same but I also take it up to 450 so it will burn off any cleaning agent this also lets me steam the grill I never thought of cleaning the stack this would probably take some of the smoke smell off the patio I like the video thanks

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Thanks for watching Doug. Happy cleaning. Chef Jason

[@The_Norse_Hunk]

How often do you clean it? I just purchased one last week.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

dylmarsar I clean about every 3-5 cooks depending on much fat and debris I have built up.

[@The_Norse_Hunk]

@@ChefJasonMorse Thanks, Chef!

[@joeyminga6085]

You mention the grease trap and the smoke stack but don’t mention how to clean them. What do you suggest as the best way to clean both?

[@ChefJasonMorse]

I use a towel and a long pair of tongs to get into the chimney for cleaning and the grease trap opening I use a towel to push thru their as well. sorry I forgot to mention both of those. Chef Jason

[@mikeh9949]

Appreciated the video Jason, thanks for the cleaning tips.

[@richardpino1753]

Thank you great video

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Very welcome Richard. Happy cooking. Chef Jason

[@bmakel]

Love the video but one step you forgot was to blow out all of the dust under the bottom liner and barrel inside the grill from the pellets that you cannot suck out from the vacuum. You’ll be surprised how much pellet dust gets blown out. I do that once a year. It’s like a dust cloud. LOL

[@entity1263]

Cause you vacuumed the auger, do you have to reprime it for next cook? Great video btw. I'm a bit of a weirdo when it comes to my grills and clean every time I use it. Uncontrolled fires are a bit scary.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Entity 1 usually when I pour the pellets back in the hopper it will fill in the area I cleaned out so I haven’t had to re Prime the auger. If you clean out the whole auger tube, then yes. Thanks for watching and for the nice comment. Happy Cooking

[@entity1263]

@@ChefJasonMorse thanks man for getting back! Bison steaks tonight! Have a wonderful New Year!!

[@RSP3557]

Great video this makes me appreciate how easy it is to clean my PKoriginal. Cleaning a pellet grill is a weekend job.

[@TerrieWilkie]

Can you show us how to clean the inside of the smokestack of a traeger, and what tool to use for this?

[@yardmstr]

So helpful! Love your energy. Is there anyway to get an updated link to the downloadable tip sheet? It appears the link has been broken. Thanks!

[@AceHardware]

Thank you for watching! Here is a link to the tip sheet: tips.acehardware.com/blogs/how-to-clean-your-traeger/

[@AbbyClabough]

Couple of questions: Once we got the message to clean our grill, which we do regularly, we've never been able to get the "clean your grill" message off. Today it told me the firepot won't clean itself (literally), yet my husband always vacuums the firepot. Where is the sensor? How do we get the Ironwood to acknowledge that it's been cleaned? As you said, it's like a vehicle. I feel there must be a switch we're supposed to reset when it's cleaned, like my Road Glide tells me how many miles it's gone between oil changes. 2nd question: What's the honeycomb in the hopper for? It's a pain and makes it hard to empty pellets. Will it hurt anything to take it out? I notice there isn't one in your pellet hopper.

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Hi Abby, those warnings are setup in the software. As annoying as they are, its that subtle reminder. :-). The honeycomb in the pellet hopper is to prevent you from accidentally putting your fingers into the auger, its an auger guard. Chef Jason

[@matthewmccallum610]

Great Video thank you!

[@AceHardware]

Thanks for watching Matthew!

[@happert1]

You just made me excited to clean my greasy, dusty, dirty smoke machine. That is not easy to do because who really wants to do it? I do now:)

[@ChefJasonMorse]

My work here is complete. lol. Happy Cleaning, Chef Jason

[@ToddCBrown]

Great Simple video. Why not clean the inside of the lid?

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Todd Brown I leave the seasoning on there and only clean off any bbq crumbs. I like that extra layer of seasoning

[@stevenbinkley]

Do you clean the grates with the cleaner or just soap and water

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Hi Steve, I just brush the grates off. I don't clean them with any soap, water or sprays. Happy Cleaning, Chef Jason

[@mikeeisenberg6005]

When you clean the fire pot, do you have to put a few new pellets back in there to prime it?

[@ChefJasonMorse]

I do not, because I don't vacuum into/out the auger tube, it keeps pellets in there for the next cook. Chef Jason

[@Miniprizm]

This is awesome thank you

[@JohnLee-jk5ew]

What kind of grill cleaner was used?

[@AceHardware]

Hi John, We used this one, the Traeger All Natural No Scent Oven And Grill Cleaner. You can view and/or order it here: bit.ly/3nWoImE

[@Dianaevoni]

Thanks for the video. Just bought the Ironwood 885 and this is very helpful.

[@AceHardware]

Great to hear!

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Dianaevoni Vegas Slot Machine Videos you are very welcome. Happy cooking. Let us know if we can help with anything else. Chef J

[@snapperkc9317]

Lots of good information…my only suggestion is to not have so many cups of coffee before filming! Thanks for the tips!

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Yeah that double shot espresso really kicked in. :-). Happy Cooking, Chef Jason

[@michaelmilton4427]

Do we need to clean the probe inside the grill?? Thanks Mike

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Hi Michael, I clean mine with a damp towel when I see there is buildup on it, be careful on the new grills not to get the probe soaking wet. Chef Jason

[@lornawillard5293]

We have owned our Treager for years and have kept up on cleaning. It won't hold the temperature even though we have replaced the temperature probe, thermostat and the ignition probe. Any ideas? I'm going to go and clean it again just to check all of the areas you mentioned in case we missed one. We keep our pellets in the house when not in use. You say that they have about a 6 month shelf life. Are you starting that when the bag is opened? Who knows how long they have been in a warehouse or sales floor?

[@ChefJasonMorse]

Hi Lorna, for the temp issues you mention, I would call Traeger customer service and have them help getting you back up and running properly. Pellet life is once the bag leaves the store. Chef Jason