So maybe your awesome Uncle Fred taught you how to grill a steak when you were a youngster. But did anyone ever tell you how to clean a grill?

Truly, the first rule of grilling great steaks is to start with a clean grill.

Here’s a checklist for spring cleaning your grill:

1. Make sure burners are off.
2. Use a grate scrape to scrape off last season’s remnants.
3. If your grates are removable, you can wash them in the dishwasher. Just remember to reseason them once you put them back on the grill.
4. Check your burners for debris and brush off as necessary.
5. Check the fuel line for cracks or loose connections.
6. If propane, check fuel levels.
7. Clean the exterior of the grill with soap and warm water.

Grilling steaks is an artform, but you’ve got to start with a clean canvas! Happy spring grilling, everybody!

It’s time to get out there and fire up that grill for some delicious burgers, steaks, dogs – you name it!

But you don’t want to put that beautiful beef on grates gunked up with last year’s barbecue.

Gross.

So before you curse the gods of BBQs past, just follow these easy instructions for spring cleaning your grill.

An artist must start with a clean canvas, right? So don’t skip this important step, my grillmaster friends.

Click here for those step-by-step instructions. Let’s all clean ’em up and get out there and grill!

Photo courtesy of MensHealth.com.