Okay, so maybe this one isn't exactly a 'how-to' post yet, but by the time you're all through with it, I hope it will be a comprehensive barbecue-cleaning compendium.

Lately, I have asked quite a few people how they clean their BBQ and I've been amazed at how everyone has their own method. So I thought I'd share a couple of them with you, in the hope that you'll share your method with me and the rest of the gang on the Meeting Place.

I have a half hotplate, half grill, four-burner BBQ, and I clean it once it's cooled down, but still a bit warm. First, I lightly scrape any heavy duty bits with a flat edged cooking scraper (or Bar.B.Mate), then I wipe it over with paper towel and, finally, I spray the surface with canola oil to prevent rusting. Then when I use it again, I heat it up, wipe it down with paper towel, and spray lightly with canola oil before I cook.

I've also been told that it's best to cook with vegetable oil, as it contains less salt than olive oil and is less likely to rust the plates.

One of my friends swears by the half-onion method. He'll lightly clean with a newspaper once he finishes cooking, then the next time he uses his BBQ, he sticks a half onion on a fork and wipes the plates and grill down with it. He does this once it's quite hot, He reckons the onion soaks up yukky oil and the acids in it cleans the BBQ. I will say this for his method, it smells bloody nice!

Anyway, I'd love to hear how you do it. I have a few more BBQ cleaning tips, but I'll share them in the comments.

So, what's your preferred method for cleaning your BBQ?