How To Clean a Blackstone Griddle

To clean a Blackstone griddle after cooking, let it cool slightly (still warm), scrape food and grease off the cooktop with a metal scraper, and wipe it down with a paper towel. For stuck-on bits, pour a little hot water on the surface to loosen them and scrape again — don’t use soap on a seasoned griddle, as it strips the seasoning. Once clean and dry, rub a thin layer of cooking oil over the surface to re-season and prevent rust. Only use soap the very first time, before the griddle is seasoned. Here’s the full guide for first-time cleaning, after-cook cleaning, and rust removal.

How often should you clean your Blackstone griddle?

When the griddle is brand new, wash and season it before first use to remove any manufacturing residue. After that, do a quick clean and a light re-oil after every use — that’s what keeps the seasoning built up and the steel from rusting. A well-maintained griddle lasts for decades; a neglected one rusts and wears out fast.

What you need

• A metal scraper or spatula
• Paper towels
• A microfiber towel
• A bucket (for first-time cleaning)
• Mild dish soap (for first-time cleaning only)
• Cooking oil (any high-smoke-point oil — see note below)
• A non-metallic scouring pad or grill brush, or a pumice grill stone (for rust)
• Heat-resistant gloves

Oil note: use a high-smoke-point oil for seasoning — Blackstone’s own seasoning oil, or avocado, canola, vegetable, flaxseed, or grapeseed oil. Avoid olive oil and butter, which have low smoke points and can go sticky.

How to clean a Blackstone griddle for the first time

This is the one time soap is okay — because the griddle isn’t seasoned yet.

Step 1: Make a cleaning solution

Pour a gallon or two of warm water into a bucket and add a few squirts of mild dish soap. Mix well.

Step 2: Wipe the cooking surface

Dip a microfiber towel in the solution and wring it until it no longer drips. Wipe the surface carefully but firmly, rinsing and wringing the towel often so you’re lifting residue rather than spreading it.

Step 3: Rinse and dry

Empty the bucket and refill with clean warm water. Wipe the surface to remove all soap, then dry thoroughly with paper towels and let it air dry completely. No moisture can remain — any water left on bare steel causes rust.

Step 4: Season the griddle

Turn the heat up and let the griddle run about 10-15 minutes until the cooktop darkens. Wearing heat-resistant gloves, coat the surface with a thin layer (2-3 teaspoons) of high-smoke-point oil, spreading it with a paper towel (held with tongs to keep your hands away from the heat). Let the oil heat until it stops smoking and the surface darkens further — that’s the oil polymerizing into seasoning. Repeat the thin-oil-and-burn-off cycle three or four times. Thin coats are key; too much oil goes gummy.

Seasoning prevents rust and creates the non-stick surface, so don’t skip it.

How to clean a Blackstone griddle after cooking

Let the griddle cool until it’s warm but still safe to work on (cleaning while slightly warm makes residue come off easily; cleaning it screaming-hot is a burn risk).

Step 1: Scrape off food

With a metal scraper or spatula, push all the food and juices off the cooktop into the grease trap. Wipe off grease and remaining bits with a paper towel.

Tip: if anything is stuck on, pour a little hot water on the surface to loosen the residue (it’ll steam — keep hands clear), then scrape again.

Step 2: Gently scrub

Using a non-metallic scouring pad or grill brush, gently scrub the surface — no soap and no wire brush (soap strips seasoning; wire bristles scratch and can shed). Wipe with a paper towel.

Step 3: Dry and re-oil

Dry the surface fully, then spread a thin layer (1-2 teaspoons) of high-smoke-point oil across every part with a paper towel. This protects the seasoning and prevents rust between uses.

Why no soap after the first clean: soap strips the seasoning layer you’ve built up, which is what makes the surface non-stick and rust-resistant. (And here’s how to clean your microfiber towels afterward.)

How to clean a rusty Blackstone griddle

Rust happens, but it’s fixable — you’ll strip back to bare steel and re-season.

Step 1: Heat the griddle

Rust comes off more easily with heat. Wearing heat-resistant gloves, turn the heat up and let the griddle get hot.

Step 2: Scrape off the rust

With a metal scraper, work the rust off in a consistent pattern so you don’t miss patches, being careful not to gouge the steel. Keep the surface dry during this — no water.

Step 3: Wipe off loose rust

Remove the loosened rust with a paper towel (let it cool enough to handle safely first).

Step 4: Scour with oil

Apply a few teaspoons of oil and scour the surface with a pumice grill stone (or a non-metallic pad). Wipe off the rust-and-oil residue with paper towels. Repeat with fresh oil until no more rust comes off.

Step 5: Re-season

Once the rust is gone, re-season the griddle (the four-coat process from the first-time section). Then store it dry, away from humidity — a cover helps, and so does keeping it out of the rain.

Can you clean a Blackstone griddle with vinegar?

Vinegar can help during a deep rust-removal or strip-down, but use it carefully: it’s acidic, so it removes seasoning and, if left on, can actually promote rust on bare steel. So vinegar is a restoration step, not a routine clean. If you use it, pour a little on, scrub with a scouring pad, then immediately rinse, dry completely, and re-season the griddle right away — never leave a vinegar-cleaned surface bare. For everyday cleaning, the scrape-hot-water-and-oil method is better and doesn’t strip your seasoning.

Can you clean a Blackstone griddle with salt?

Yes — the “salt scrub” (or salt draw) is good for lifting grease and removing flavors between very different foods. Pour a little hot water on the surface to loosen residue, wipe it dry, then pour coarse salt on and work it across the surface with a scraper or balled-up paper towel. The salt’s abrasion scours without damaging the seasoning. Wipe it away with a paper towel, then re-oil. This keeps last night’s fish from flavoring tomorrow’s pancakes.

Can you use Dawn dish soap on a Blackstone griddle?

Only for the very first cleaning, before the griddle is seasoned — a non-abrasive dish soap like Dawn is fine then. After the griddle is seasoned, skip the soap: it strips the seasoning you’ve worked to build. If you ever do strip a seasoned griddle with soap (or it gets badly rusted), just re-season it afterward and you’re back in business.

The best way to clean a Blackstone griddle

There’s no single answer — it depends on the situation. For everyday after-cook cleaning, the most popular and effective method is metal scraper + hot water + a thin coat of oil. For odors between strong foods, the salt scrub. For rust, the strip-and-reseason process. The common thread: scrape, minimal water, dry completely, and always finish with a thin layer of oil.

Final thoughts

Cleaning and caring for a Blackstone griddle is simple. For the first clean, dish soap, a scouring pad, and water remove the manufacturing residue — then you season it. For every clean after that, it’s just a scraper, a little hot water, a paper towel, and a thin coat of oil to protect the seasoning. Do that consistently, keep it dry and covered between uses, and the griddle will last a lifetime. Just take care around the heat to avoid burns.