I want to do a deep dive cleaning to make it like it was new and start the seasoning anew. Any suggestions on how to get it that clean? I suspect this will be a messy job
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quote:]I suspect this will be a messy job
I suspect you are correct
it was, used the credit card method and scrubbed it down with vinegar and water with a scrub brush. Got 75% of it ... last 25% just wasn't worth it .. 
I just wipe mine out with paper towels while slightly warm after a smoke and a quick wipe with a cheap vodka on a paper towel to get rid of any grease. The Vodka leaves no smell.
As I've posted before, my rule is anything that touches food gets cleaned after every smoke (cooking grids). The rest gets covered with foil (wood box cover, smoker bottom, drip pan) and cleaned or wiped down with a damp rag when necessary. The rest of the smoker gets a quick wipe with a damp rag after each smoke to get soft grease off, especially where the door seals. Takes 10 minutes per smoke.
I clean the outside of my smoker far more often then the inside. I vacuum the ash before every smoke and clean my grates. Change the foil in the drip pan once a month or so. Other then that if I notice a large build up of blackness I will knock it down with a scraper. I believe the darker danker it is in there the better.