Whether you are the type who grills all year long, or you put the barbecue away for the winter, now is the time of year to give your outdoor cooking machine a thorough once over and cleaning before firing it up for a busy season of grilling. Barbecues are sensitive pieces of equipment. An annual inspection will ensure it is operating at peak efficiency, and regular cleaning will not only improve performance but will also help prolong the life of your backyard grill.

To get your grill ready for the season, Napoleon offers the following checklist:

1. A Thorough Cleaning —
As delicious as the end product may be, grilling is messy. Grease, food bits and charred remnants can both inhibit the effectiveness of your grill and be dangerous. To start the season, give each piece of your grill a good scrub. Using soap, warm water and a steel wool pad, scrub down each of your cooking grates. Do the same for your heat deflectors, ensuring they are in good working order. If not, buy replacement parts. Gently clean each burner ensuring they are in good shape and no holes are plugged. Pull out the tray that collects all the burnt remains and scrub it clean. Empty the grease tray and replace. Finally, give the outside a good clean using a non-corrosive cleaner or de-greaser.

2. Check for Leaks —
Once your cleaning is done, it is a good idea to visually inspect all hoses and feed tubes on your grill.  Look for any crimps, scratching and or punctures. If you detect any of these, it is time to replace the hoses. A leak test should be performed any time your grill has been in storage for a prolonged length of time or when you are changing any components on your grill. Cover each hose with warm soapy water and look for bubbles — if there are no bubbles forming, you are good to go. If there are bubbles, it is indicative of a gas leak that needs repair before using the barbecue.

3. Check all ignition parts –
Now that your grill is clean and safe, it is time to check out how it lights. For battery ignitions it is a good idea to replace the batteries with new ones. Check all electrode leads and ensure the tips of the electrodes are clean and have no grease or rust build up on them. If they do, you can use a fine grit sandpaper to clean them.

4. Get your Basic Barbecue Tools — Make sure you are equipped with a good grill cleaning brush — cedar scrapers are all the rage right now, but there is something to be said for a good abrasive pad. You will also want to make sure you have a good set of tongs, a quality spatula and it is a great idea to invest in a temperature probe.

For more information visit www.napoleon.com