Kick Off Tailgating Season with BKF!

September 8, 2021

Football season is officially here, and that means tailgating season. Whether you’re about to attend the big game or streaming it on your phone, there’s nothing nicer than spending the afternoon in a camping chair, eating freshly grilled hot dogs, and drinking a cold beer. Bar Keepers Friend is here to make tailgating season even more enjoyable. Here are a few tailgating season cleaning tips from BKF to kick off the season.

Before You Tailgate 

Clean Your Grill at Home 

Seriously, nobody wants to know what you cooked last night on your grill. So, clean your grill before the next tailgate party. Yes, before you pack your grill for your next tailgate, be sure it’s clean, mean, and ready to blaze! Here’s all you need to make your grill score a touchdown before the kickoff.

• A nylon brush or scrub pad
• A grill brush or wad of aluminum foil
• Gloves
• Newspaper or a plastic drop cloth for the grate
• Bar Keepers Friend Products

If you use a portable gas grill, try heating it before you start to clean. It will burn off some of the “leftovers” and do some of your work for you. Be sure to let it cool before you continue. For charcoal grills, start with the grate.

Grate

Next, take your grill brush or a wad of aluminum foil and scrape the grate. When you’re done scraping, place the grates on a piece of newspaper or drop cloth, sprinkle the grate with water, shake BKF powder cleanser on it, put on your gloves, let it sit a minute, and then have at it with your brush. Be sure to rinse the grates thoroughly. (I clean my grill outside, so I use my garden hose.)

Extra point: Some newer portable grills have stainless steel exteriors. If so, try our Stainless Steel Cleanser & Polish for an easy and quick clean with a mirror-like shine.

Grilling tools 

Spatulas, tongs, skewers, and sheets get greasy and grimy with burnt on meat and more. Grilling tools are as essential as the grill, and dirty tools are not very appetizing. Most modern grilling tools are stainless steel. Our Stainless Steel Cleanser & Polish is excellent for cleaning these tools. However, I’ve also had success with Bar Keepers Friend MORE Spray & Foam.

Tables 

Although I usually wipe down tables when I set them up at the tailgate site, I clean them before loading them. I’ve used Bar Keepers Friend MORE Spray & Foam not only to clean plastic camp tables, but I’ve also used Bar Keepers Friend original powder cleanser to bring stained and moldy plastic patio chairs back to life. Here’s a short video showing how amazing BKF is at attacking mold and mildew.

Coolers

Most coolers are hard plastic. Bar Keepers Friend products shouldn’t damage or dull the finish of a quality cooler. However, we recommend spot testing a small area of the cooler, such as on the bottom or inside the lid, before using our products on your favorite cooler. For most normal cleaning of a cooler, I use Spray + Foam. I have, however, used Bar Keepers Friend original powder cleanser on deep old stains inside a cooler.

After the Party

Cleaning up after your tailgate party begins with a mindset. Chill – there’s no need to hurry and fight the crowd and traffic. Let others fight the mad dash while you relax, wait them out, and clean up after the party.

Pro Tip: Plan ahead with some snacks and activities for anyone riding with you or waiting it out.

The first key to after-party clean-up is to have the supplies you need.

Here’s a Checklist:

Trash bags – bring a box, not just one bag. You can always take home what you don’t use but not having enough is a nearly unsolvable problem.

Cleaning cloths – paper towels are good, but so are terry cloth drying towels, microfibers, and sponges.

Bar Keepers Friend MORE Spray & Foam – you could bring other cleaners and more BKF products, but for after party cleaning up, Spray + foam should be enough. If something needs a deeper clean, do it back at the homestead.

Water – There might be water available but bring a gallon or two of water just in case. Either buy a jug of water from your local grocery, or rinse an empty gallon milk carton, and fill it at home.

Buckets – Bring a couple of water containers with you for cleaning and rinsing.

It’s Keen to Be Green! 

Here at BKF, we’re keen on being green. You can reduce your tailgate trash by using reusable items like a reusable team logo water bottle, as well as biodegradable, recycled, and unbleached products.

Tailgating Season is Bar Keepers Friend Season

Okay, what season isn’t BKF season? But if you haven’t used BKF products to keep your tailgate gear clean before, during, and after the party, you’re missing out. Give me a B! Give me a K! Give me an F! Go team BKF!

About the Author

Randy Clark is a speaker, coach, and author. He publishes a weekly blog at Randy Clark Leadership.com. Randy is passionate about social media, leadership development, and flower gardening. He’s a beer geek and on weekends (after COVID-19) he can be found fronting the Rock & Roll band Under the Radar. He’s the proud father of two educators; he has four amazing grandchildren and a wife who dedicates her time to helping others. Randy is the author of the Amazon bestseller The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management.