Important tips to ready gas grill for spring barbecues

The weather’s warming up and although we all know we’re not out of the winter woods yet — there’s always a March or April polar blast — thoughts are turning to spring.

And warming weather sends us outside — to work, play and dine.

But, if you’ve not used your gas barbecue since last fall, a little maintenance is in order before you fire it up.

Stephen Schroeter, senior vice president of manufacturer Napoleon Gourmet Grills, shares some tips:

Clean the cooking grids and searing plates. Soak the cooking grills in warm water and soap before giving them a good cleaning to get rid of the grease and food crust that has been burnt on. While your searing grids are soaking, remove the heat shields (give them a good scrape as well) so you can run your barbecue brush over the burners. This is also a good time to check your igniter and rear burner to make sure all is in working order.

Clean the grease cup. The more you use your grill, the more you will have to clean or replace your grease cup. Before firing up your grill, take out the old and put in the new.

Scrape off the grease tray. No need to get out the soap and water for this one, but give it a good scrape with a spatula or putty knife to clean off all the bits.

Check for leaks. Inspect your hose and fittings to ensure everything is in order and that there are no leaks. Do a soap test to be safe: in a spray bottle or small bowl, mix one part water to one part dish soap. Apply the mixture (spritz it or apply with a small brush) to all fittings. Make sure your lid is open and all the control knobs are turned off. Turn on your gas — any growing bubbles are a sign of a leak that needs to be addressed.