Outdoor Kitchen Care Guide
It's essential you regularly clean your outdoor kitchen. And fortunately, the best maintenance is frequent use.
It’s like a car—as many discovered after Covid, leaving a car unused for an extended period can cause problems with the battery, tyres, engine and even the fuel system. As with cars, so with outdoor kitchens: A used kitchen is a happy kitchen.
If your kitchen is under cover, it may get less obvious dirt buildup from the environment, but regular maintenance is still necessary: food or marine contaminants can damage coatings and materials if left uncleaned.
On this page:
Cleaning Black Cabinetry
Grillo cabinetry is primarily constructed from aluminium with a marine-grade powder coat. Don’t use cleaning products with bleach or other aggressive cleaning substances as they may discolour the surface and affect the integrity of the coating. Don’t use any abrasive cleaners or materials.
• Use a hose or pressure washer:
Cabinetry and worksurfaces can be pressure washed. Unplug any electrics, avoid high-powered pressure washers and don’t get too close. Don’t spray barbeques or appliances, and take care when spraying iroko timber—pressure washers can tear up wood grain.
• Remove marks with a pH-neutral glass cleaner:
Use the provided glass cleaner to remove marks and stains, or any quality pH-neutral glass cleaner. Spray, leave for 60 seconds, then rub off with a microfibre cloth. Repeat as necessary.
• Beware of drip marks on hot days:
Much like your car, if cleaning with water, avoid cleaning in direct sunlight and dry the surface quickly after cleaning to avoid drip marks. Drip marks can be very difficult to remove.
• Longevity in a marine environment:
All metals in marine environments are at risk of corrosion. Cars, boats and outdoor kitchens all require regular cleaning to keep them in good condition. Our cabinetry is marine-grade, and regular cleaning or rinsing are necessary for its protection.
Repairing Scratches
It’s important that scratches or chips in the marine-grade powder coat are touched up using the touch-up paint provided:
Cleaning Worksurfaces
The Plateau Sintered stone worksurfaces are highly durable and stain-resistant. Clean up after each use with anti-bac or cleaning spray, as you would on your interior worksurfaces.
• Use a hose or pressure washer:
Cabinetry and worksurfaces can be pressure washed. Unplug any electrics, avoid high-powered pressure washers and don’t get too close. Don’t spray barbeques or appliances, and take care when spraying iroko timber—pressure washers can tear up wood grain.
• Use warm soapy water:
To more effectively remove grease and grime, a simple wash with warm water and mild detergent like fairy liquid is sufficient. Use the mitt provided—the texture of the worksurfaces can snag sponges or cloths.
• Remove stubborn dirt with the Magic Eraser:
Wet the provided magic eraser and squeeze it out. Rub away at the dirt or stain, dampening as required. The eraser will wear away with use. Once the dirt is removed, wipe the surface with the damp mitt. Don’t use the magic eraser on the black cabinetry.
Iroko Hardwood
Iroko is an amazingly durable hardwood which requires no treatment to maintain its structural integrity outdoors. In fact, along with other tropical hardwoods, it is used untreated in groynes, in which capacity it has an expected lifespan of 25 years. It silvers beautifully with age, with the rate of silvering largely dependent on UV exposure. To keep your kitchen as low maintenance and natural as possible, we recommend leaving the iroko untreated.
1. Natural Colour Variation
1. Natural Colour Variation
One of the most noticeable features of iroko is its colour variation. Boards can range from very pale, almost white tones through to deeper golden yellows and even dark chocolate browns. The most typical appearance is a warm, yellow straw colour with darker streaks running through the grain.
This variation isn’t a flaw – it’s a hallmark of natural timber. Every piece is unique, and when installed together, the variation creates depth and visual interest that simply can’t be replicated with man‑made materials.
What to expect:
It’s completely normal for adjacent boards to look quite different when first installed.
2. Blending Over Time
2. Blending Over Time
Fresh iroko often looks quite varied at first, but this contrast usually softens as the timber is exposed to the elements. Over the first few weeks outdoors, sunlight and weathering help the tones to settle and blend more harmoniously.
While some variation will always remain, the overall appearance becomes more balanced as the timber matures.
3. Darkening & Silvering
3. Darkening & Silvering
Like most hardwoods, iroko changes colour over time:
- Short term: Exposure to sunlight causes the timber to darken, enriching its golden tones.
- Long term: Without treatment, iroko will gradually weather to a soft, silvery grey.
Both stages are completely natural and widely appreciated in outdoor design. If you prefer to maintain the original colour, this can be achieved with appropriate oils or protectants.
4. Grain & Surface Texture
4. Grain & Surface Texture
Iroko has a natural grain pattern, which can sometimes feel slightly raised or uneven:
- During manufacturing, differences in grain direction can result in areas that feel smoother or slightly rougher.
- Once installed outdoors, exposure to changing temperature and humidity can cause the grain to lift slightly over time.
This is not a defect but a natural response of timber. If required, any rough areas can be easily smoothed with light sanding.
5. Shakes & Splits
5. Shakes & Splits
Small cracks (often called shakes or splits) can occur in timber. These are a natural feature of hardwood and may develop or change over time as the wood expands and contracts with moisture and temperature changes.
They are typically cosmetic and do not affect the structural integrity or longevity of the timber.
6. Embracing Natural Timber
6. Embracing Natural Timber
Iroko is valued precisely because it is a natural material. Its colour variation, evolving tones, and organic characteristics are what give it warmth and authenticity.
Every installation is unique – and that’s what makes it special.
7. Treating Iroko
7. Treating Iroko
If you prefer the ‘new wood’ look, you can apply a UV-protecting stain or oil to slow the aging—we recommend a teak wood oil, see photo. Note this would need reapplying periodically to prevent a patchy appearance: Old or damaged treatment can quickly cause uneven weathering and look very shabby—and it will only slow the silvering, not stop it completely. For an aging comparison of untreated and treated iroko, see our Iroko Timber Care article.
8. Removing Mould
8. Removing Mould
A black or grey surface mould is common in damp environments. It can be removed with a mould and mildew remover, such as ProKleen. See the Iroko Timber Care article on our website for more details.
Cleaning Barbeques
• Stainless steel:
Stainless steel is difficult to keep streak-free. We recommend using a quality stainless steel cleaner (or just soapy water) for regular cleaning of the outside. Always clean steel ‘with the grain’ to avoid scratching.
Contrary to popular belief, stainless steel will stain and tarnish over time—it just ‘stains less’ than mild steel. Careful use of professional polishes or cleaning agents like Bar Keeper’s Friend or Brasso can be amazingly effective in restoring the original finish. Note these products are abrasive, so you must check the product instructions and polish with the grain to prevent scratching or damaging the steel.
• Barbeque interiors:
For gas and electric barbeques, the fat tray should be cleaned after each use to prevent fat fires—see the Safety Instructions sheet provided with your kitchen. For cleaning the grates and interiors, we recommend running the barbeques at a high temperature for 15-20 minutes to loosen and burn off any grease and residue. Cooking grates can then be scrubbed with a steel brush to remove any food debris.
• Chef's Anvil:
See the Anvil Hotplate Care article or the handbook provided with your kitchen for details on how to care for the Chef’s Anvil barbeque.
Winterising your kitchen
• Drain the pipework (UK / USA / EU):
In colder climates such as the UK and North America, water pipes need draining before winter, or they may burst. Plumbing varies by region, but general instructions for UK are: Turn the water supply off at the stopcock; open the tap; drain it using the drain cock; leave the tap open. Alternatively: turn off the water supply to the tap; disconnect the tap tails; open the tap to drain.
• Switch off the fridge:
Turn the fridge off at the fuse board or socket. Then clean and dry it to prevent bacterial growth.
• Hibernate your barbeques (if you must!):
At the top of this article we noted that frequent use is an effective form of maintenance. This is especially true of barbeques, where high heat drives off moisture, kills mould, and polymerises cooking oils into a protective patina inside your grill. But if you’re sure you’re not using your barbeques for a period, give them a thorough clean down, ideally after firing them up to kill any bacterial growth. Then securely cover, ensuring any gas bottles are disconnected.
