cleaning your mes 30?

[flyweed]

Hey guys,

I've had a Mess 30 for about a year now and love it..but never know how or IF I should clean the interior ever? I mean I take the racks out and steamer pan, drip tray and wash those..but the inner walls should I just leave black??  I never know if I should wipe it down with soapy water or not.

Dan

 

[ronp]

Just leave it alone, racks and pan is ok to clean.

 

[flyweed]

that's what I thought. Thanks!  I always clean my racks, steamer pan, drip tray...but the walls, floor, and door I don't touch.

Dan

 

[deltadude]

Personally, I usually wipe the inside floor with a hot soapy cloth, then wipe again with hot wet non soap cloth then a couple of paper towels.  Grease can accumulate in the bottom increasing the potential for a grease fire.  It doesn't hurt to clean out the drain hole every couple of months.

As for the walls, as pointed out the build up is seasoning.  But if there are heavy amounts of grease in one particular area, take a hot damp cloth "no soap" and wipe the grease off.  In addition prior to every smoke I wipe the door sill area both on the door and the cabinet. Plus I wipe the rubber gasket.

My older model has the bigger chip tray, I always clean it prior to a smoke.  It doesn't hurt to take a wire brush and scrup off some of the buildup, this will help maintain good wood chip ignition.

I hope this helps...

 

[daddyzaring]

So there won't be any problems if you clean up the bottom of the inside if there is greese built up?  Just don't use any harsh cleaner?

 

[kielbasa kid]

Inside walls: Grade #4 Extra Coarse steel wool pad with warm water and paper towels.

 

[herscht]

someone recommended to me to spray the inside with PAM, is anyone doing that?

 

[Bearcarver]

My Dishwasher cleans the grills after every use (only complains a little), and I keep foil over the water pan & bottom drip pan.

Other than that I cleaned my MES 30 real good, after I got my MES 40. I used alcohol, a scotch brite pad, a few rags, and a mess of paper towels.

I clean my glass door window, in my MES 40, before each use with Windex.

Last week I cleaned the whole bottom of my MES 40, and the whole door, because 2 weeks ago I heard some puffing going on in there, and when I looked in the window, it looked like a troop of boy scouts moved in & had little camp fires going in the bottom of my smoker!!!  (Little fat drip piles)

Bear

 

[tromaron]

For my MES 40, I clean the racks in the dishwasher each time.  About every other time I clean the window with a razor blade, takes the build up right off.

 

[smoker21]

Hey Bear,

<<I used alcohol>>  Would that be beer or Bourbon?

;--)

JD

 

[Bearcarver]

Hey Bear,

<<I used alcohol>>  Would that be beer or Bourbon?

;--)

JD

LOL---Beer's too low octane---Gotta be the hard stuff that you either drink or rub on sore muscles.

 

[captturbo]

For whatever it's worth, I find that it's easier to clean my MES 30 right after a smoke. The water pan keeps the humidity up so the crud is soft and comes off with warm soapy water.

 

[Bearcarver]

For whatever it's worth, I find that it's easier to clean my MES 30 right after a smoke. The water pan keeps the humidity up so the crud is soft and comes off with warm soapy water.

I'm 99% sure you're right there!!!

Only thing is, who feels like cleaning the smoker right after a smoke-----I always feel like eating!   

Maybe while your smoke is in a cooler, wrapped in foil & towels---That would be a great time to take advantage of your idea.

Note: Be careful how wet your soapy water sponge is, and where the water goes in watt burners, like an MES.

Bear

 

[joeschmoker]

I hear ya, but if you wait, then it's that much harder to clean.  I came up with an idea today as I was scrubbing my racks and pans.  For my next smoke I'm going to go buy one of those Rubbermaid type large containers (big enough to hold the racks and pans) and as soon as I take the food out, I'm going to drop them in that container full of hot, soapy water.  And, when I'm not using the container to scrub the racks and pans, I'll be using it to hold my smoking supplies.
 

I'm 99% sure you're right there!!!

Only thing is, who feels like cleaning the smoker right after a smoke-----I always feel like eating!   

Maybe while your smoke is in a cooler, wrapped in foil & towels---That would be a great time to take advantage of your idea.

Note: Be careful how wet your soapy water sponge is, and where the water goes in watt burners, like an MES.

Bear

 

[squirrel]

I use the Mr. Clean magic erasers on the glass. Amazing how quickly that stuff comes off.

 

[Bearcarver]

I use the Mr. Clean magic erasers on the glass. Amazing how quickly that stuff comes off.

Hmmm---Gotta check them out !

Thanks,

Bear

 

[pittman]

Those Magic Erasers are the best!

I think they are from another planet! Not sure how come they work so great on everything!

I have not used them on my MES yet, but I'm sure they'll do the job just from what Ive seen them do on other things!!

 

[Bearcarver]

Maybe I'm not gentle enough. 

I told Mrs Bear to get some "Magic Erasers" next time she goes to town, but she said she had a couple.

I took one to clean my MES 40 window.

It got the stuff off the window pretty quick, but the one side of the soft little sponge is torn apart & shot.

I should be able to use the other side next time, so it's 50¢ per window-washing that way for me.

Then I still used a little Windex & two paper towels to shine the window up (I like it real clean).

So far the thing that works best for me is:

Step #1-----Rubbing Alcohol on paper towels to get the heavy gunk off.

Step #2-----Then a few paper towels with Windex for streak free shine.

Paper towels are a lot cheaper.

Maybe if I was more gentle with that soft little sponge, but...........

Bear

 

[joeschmoker]

I little dish soap and a non-abrasive scrubbie cleans the glass very quickly.  Just rinse with the hose.

 

[Bearcarver]

I little dish soap and a non-abrasive scrubbie cleans the glass very quickly.  Just rinse with the hose.

Rinse an electric smoker with a hose???

No thanks!