My mom gave me an older george Formam grill. She told me to just wipe it clean and do not use dishsoap. This personally makes me want to gag. How many sandwiches did she make me and not clean the grill off properly. She swears you do not need to use soap, it cleans itself. Who has one of these grills, and how do you clean it?
These are the directions I found at eHow for cleaning a George Foreman grill. I see why your mother thought you just wipe it off, but you do need dish soap. 5. How to Clean a George Foreman Grill Instructions 1. * 1. Unplug your George Foreman grill and while it is still hot put a wet paper towel in it and close it. * 2. Eat your meal or wait about 30 minutes. Using oven mitts, wipe the grill down with the warm paper towel. * 3. Purchase a George Foreman grill sponge set from Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond. Clean the grill gently with dish soap and warm water. * 4. Use the plastic spatula that comes with the George Foreman grill to scrape off any hard-to-remove food. If you always clean it when it's still warm you shouldn't have any of this on your grill. * 5. Dry your George Foreman grill with paper towels. Let it finish air drying before closing the grill.
Why is it that you're not supposed to use soap and water? Is the grill supposed to absorb the taste of the soap or something? Or is it just a way to sell those special sponges?
I use dish soap, but from a wet cloth only to wipe it down, so it doesn't get submerged. Also if you clean it while it's warm, the leftover gunk will come off easier.
Using abrasive cleaners ruins the non-stick coating on the sandwich maker. I use a highly diluted and solution of dish liquid could be used once in a while and clean away all the gunk from my sandwich maker. Most of the time I use water and sponge to clean my sandwich maker. My sandwich maker has been working perfectly for about seven years now.
You could try using those anti-bacterial wipes. Using water could cause some internal problems over time.
Like you I gag when I think of cooking implements not being washed with soap and water. What I do is I dilute a bit of dish washing liquid in a spray bottle full of water. While the grill is still warm I spray the dishwashing mixture on it and wipe it first with a sponge. I use the plastic spatula to scrape out food that is stubbornly stuck to the grill. Using another spray bottle I then spray the grill with just water to rinse the surface and dry it with paper towels.
Step number 3 mentions dish soap and water, so you are supposed to use it. Maybe the special sponges don't scratch the Teflon, but there are lots of sponges that don't scratch Teflon.
I had the same thing happen to me! I wondered but you can see how nicely it cleans itself but I am skeptical too. I give it a swish with a soapy rag for my own piece of mind. It is gross when you think about it! Thank goodness it was your mother and not one you picked up at a garage sale, eh?
