Barbecue season is here!

Before you fire up your gas grill for the first time, though, you need to make sure it’s properly prepared for the upcoming months.

Inspect It

Test for leaks using this tried-and-true method: connect your tank to your grill, turn the tank on, and add soapy water to the valve and hose. If you see bubbles, gas is escaping, a situation that you’ll need to address. Also, be on the lookout for bugs, especially in the burner tubes.

Clean in thoroughly 

You’ll likely find this process easier by going in sections.

Interior hood
Start by washing the inside of your grill’s hood with a mix of dish soap and water; it can have a surprising amount of debris and grease.

Grates
Ignite all the burners for ten to thirty minutes to soften any gunk on the grates. Turn your grill off, grab your grill mitt, and clean the grates with a grill brush dipped in water. (If it’s a wire brush, make sure to inspect the grates after for dislodged wires.)

Flavorizer bars and burner tubes
Let your grill cool thoroughly. Then remove the burner-protecting bars and brush the debris into the bottom of the grill or the trash. For the burner tubes, brush in the direction of the gas slits, not perpendicular to them, to avoid clogging them further. Also, ensure that no tubes have rust or holes.

Grease pan and drip tray
With everything now removed but the burners, thoroughly clean your grill’s interior. Take out the grease pan below, trashing loose debris and scraping anything that has hardened onto the pan with a putty knife. Wash the pan with soapy water or a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar. Clean the smaller drip tray—which collects your grill’s grease—the same way (though if there’s a lot of grease, you’ll have to scoop it out first).