Divisive act at public BBQs infuriates Aussies: ‘It’s not hard’

There’s no better Aussie spend time than getting together with friends and family at the local park or beach to enjoy a snag from the barbie. But what happens, when on arrival, the publicly available BBQs are so dirty they are practically unusable?

This was the scene at the barbecue area at Noosa River on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast when a group came together for a party only to be confronted with all four barbecue hot plates covered in a thick layer of black grime and residue from another group’s cook-up.

“Appalling,” the group lamented online. “Where are the cleaners that used to keep this area clean?”

The group, who said they were there on Saturday, said it took 30 minutes to get all the grime off the hot plate before they could use it.

Who is in the wrong over dirty BBQs?

While the group were aiming their flu at Noosa Shire Council who maintain the amenities at local parks, many residents were quick to point out that it’s an unspoken rule that those who use the grills should be cleaning them afterwards.

“The people using it should be cleaning it after out of respect of the community, sad to see,” said one Aussie.

“Sad that people don’t feel the need to leave communal equipment clean for the next visitors,” said another.

“The grubs who left it like that should be cleaning it,” added a third. “It’s not hard to clean up your own mess. “Some people are entitled that they think it’s for someone else to do just because it’s a public barbecue.”

How to clean public BBQ

Admittedly, cleaning public BBQs after their use can feel like a monumental task. But one Aussie has a simple hack to make the process a little less painful.

“If you come to the BBQ plate and it’s trashed, or you don’t want to trash it for the next person — but you don’t want to spend the next hour cleaning it — do this.”

In a video posted online, the man pours water over the hotplate to help loosen grime. When the hotplate warms up, he simply places a sheet of baking paper over the top. Because of the water, the paper sticks to the hotplate, creating a clean cooking surface.

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