Are you wondering the best way to clean a smoker that doesn’t use harsh chemicals? I’ve got the answer and it’s easier than you think! This works even on glass front smokers!
Why I Need to Clean a Smoker
My husband and I love smoked meats and he had been wanting a smoker for YEARS!! He researched and researched and kept not buying one because he convinced himself he wouldn’t use it enough. Finally, after years of this I convinced him to pull the plug and get one. After some more research, he picked out the one that he felt would work best for us and purchased it!
After a couple of meals made with the smoker we realized the glass on the front of it was no longer fully transparent. I decided to see what I could use to clean it.
Considerations to Clean a Smoker
I didn’t want anything harsh or full of chemicals to clean the smoker, especially since we cook food in there! I didn’t want those chemicals to stick around and then make it into our food later.
I also didn’t want to use anything that might hurt the smoker such as scratching the glass or finish within the smoker.
First Try
Whenever possible, I love to use a Norwex cloth with just water to clean. This time I decided to use one of my trusty Counter Cloths that had seen better days so I didn’t mind if it never got clean again. The bumpy surface is really great at cleaning icky messes.
Typically I would just get a counter cloth wet and then use it to clean whatever I need to. This time though, I could tell I was going to need more water than that and didn’t want to have to keep running in the house to rinse it out.
I got a bucket from the laundry room and filled it with water. I dipped my counter cloth in and started cleaning the inside of the smoker, focusing on the glass first. As the cloth got saturated with grease, I dipped it back into the bucket and rubbed it together a bit to get the extra grease off. Then I got back to work.
It didn’t take long until I got the bulk of the grease cleaned off the inside of the smoker window. As you can see below on the before and after, it looks great already!
I also wiped down the inside of the smoker with my wet counter cloth and got the bulk of the built up grease clean with just the counter cloth and water!
For this I used the regular sized counter cloths but if I were purchasing new, I’d get the larger counter cloths for this purpose, which is what I’ll use in the future.
Keep in mind, the cloth is likely not going to get 100% clean again. I’ve soaked and cleaned and done everything I can to the cloth I use to clean our smoker and it won’t get fully clean. However, this was a cloth that was a few years old and had been used heavily so that likely is part of why it won’t get as clean as it should. It’s surely still useful for this though.
Detailed Cleaning
After just using the Norwex counter cloth and water I got the glass on the inside of the smoker free from grease, which was my goal, as well as most of the grease from inside of the smoker.
However, I’m a perfectionist so I couldn’t just stop there.
I grabbed my Norwex Oven & Grill Cleaner on the stubborn spots especially around the window I had just cleaned. I sprayed a few sprays on the stubborn areas and let it sit for 5 minutes. Note that this does work best when the oven, grill, or smoker in this case, is slightly warm, about 100°F, as it states on the bottle.
After the 5 minutes was up, I used my wet counter cloth to wipe it off and it looked almost brand new!! I couldn’t believe how clean it was. I was so glad I took pictures along the way so I could share with you how well this works!
I also used the Oven and Grill Cleaner on the inside of the rest of the smoker for any particularly stubborn areas. It worked great and didn’t hurt the finish at all! It is always best to test in a small area first to be sure.
Want to Learn More?
Want to learn more about Norwex products including the Counter Cloths and Oven and Grill cleaner? Click below to see my blog post all about Norwex products where you can learn more about the Norwex mission to reduce harmful chemicals in every home with their safe, effective, and sustainable products for cleaning and personal care, as well as how the products work, and the top products.
As a mom of identical twins and a son two years older, I have gained invaluable experience in the realm, and chaos, of parenting. With a Master's Degree and Education Specialist Degree in School Psychology, I spent years as a school psychologist, helping children navigate through their educational and emotional challenges. Now as a stay at home mom and professional blogger, I combine my areas of expertise to help you in your parenting journey.