Cleaning Up After a Backyard Party or BBQ

The warmer the weather gets, the more use your backyard gets. Backyard parties and BBQs are a staple of the average Kiwi summer. After all, who doesn’t love inviting their friends and families around to enjoy the sunshine and a bite to eat? It’s the perfect way to reconnect with people you might not have seen as much during the winter hibernation season.

Despite the excitement and joy of backyard parties, you might dread the state of your yard the next day. However, by following this clean-up checklist, it might take far less time to return your yard to its former glory.

  • Take Care of Rubbish and Recycling

  • Organise and Maintain Your Outdoor Furniture

  • Inspect the Lawn

  • Compost Leftover Scraps and Waste

  • Clean the BBQ 

Take Care of Rubbish and Recycling

When you’re having fun with your loved ones, taking care of rubbish can fall by the wayside. Typically, that task falls on you the next day. Start your clean-up efforts by grabbing three containers to organise your rubbish and recycling.

Use one bin for rubbish that will go directly into your rubbish wheelie bin. Your second bin can be for recyclable products, such as bottles, cans, and cardboard. Set aside a third bin to gather up servingware and items you can wash and use again. This can be the most important task to focus on when you wake up the next day.

Organise and Maintain Your Outdoor Furniture

Outdoor furniture can look a little worse for wear the day after a backyard BBQ. Food and beverages can be spilled on them, and they’re unlikely to be in the same position they were when you set them up. Make outdoor furniture maintenance and organisation your next task during your party clean-up efforts.

Use a furniture-cleaning product and a wet cloth to wipe them clean. This process can get rid of any sticky tomato sauce from a sausage and bread mishap and residue from spilled drinks. You might then set your furniture back up where you had it or store it away in a garage or shed until it’s required for another party.

Staying on top of outdoor furniture maintenance can be important for its longevity. The more time and effort you put into keeping it in excellent condition, the longer it will be around to cater to your future party guests!

Inspect the Lawn

If you usually hold backyard BBQs on your lawn, take the time to inspect the grass after your party. It’s not uncommon for stray bottle caps and general rubbish to end up on the grass. This can be a recipe for disaster when the time comes to tackle lawn mowing.

Compost Leftover Scraps and Waste

There can often be a great deal of wastage after a BBQ. Salads can be left to wilt away in your salad bowls, and used napkins can litter every surface. Rather than throwing everything in your rubbish bin for kerbside pickup, think about the waste that will be suitable for your compost bin. You might be surprised by what can break down in your compost bin to become nutrient-rich matter for your gardens.

  • Eggshells

  • Coffee grounds

  • Potato peels

  • Lettuce

  • Avocado skins

  • Bread

  • Onions

  • Cardboard

  • Napkins and paper towels  

You can also tip half-empty beer bottles and cans into your garden. It can work as an excellent fertiliser due to the yeast, sugar, potassium, magnesium, and calcium content.

Clean the BBQ

As you would be unlikely to clean the BBQ on the night of your backyard party, the morning after is the perfect time to do it.

  1. Start with the drip tray. Remove it from underneath your BBQ and scrape away the fat with a metal scraper. You can also use dedicated BBQ wipes to eliminate any leftover fat and grease. Line it with foil and sprinkle a fat-absorbing BBQ product on it for future use. This eliminates odours and makes it easier to clean in the future!

  2. Focus on the hotplates next. Fill a trough or multiple buckets with hot, soapy water, and use your scraper to remove excess fat and grease. Leave them to soak to make cleaning them a little easier!

  3. While your hot plates are soaking, use BBQ wipes to wipe down your BBQ. Get into every nook and cranny. The cleaner you keep your BBQ, the longer it will remain in good condition for future parties.  

  4. With that job complete, you can finish cleaning your hotplates and put them back in the BBQ.  

How to Make Backyard Party Clean-Ups Easier

Cleaning up after a backyard party can take a great deal of time, but it doesn’t have to. Take some of the following actions, and you might enjoy a far easier cleaning experience:

  • Keep rubbish and recycling bins nearby for guests to use

  • Clean up as you go

  • Use tablecloths on tables to protect your outdoor furniture

  • Don’t do it alone – get your family involved in the clean-up!  

Spruce Up Your Yard for Your Next Outdoor Party

All this talk of backyard BBQs likely has you thinking about planning your own! Is your yard in need of a tidy-up? Call the experts for help! Lawn care experts can assist with a wide range of backyard tasks like lawn mowing, gardening, edging, water blasting, and more.

Karan Kikani