Grills are relatively simple appliances, but without regular cleaning they can suffer from poor performance or dangerous flare-ups. The maintenance schedule can vary from two-month intervals for heavy use to as much as a year for a grill used only occasionally. Here are the basic elements to check:

Cooking Grates
Don’t clean any grate when it’s hot. Porcelain-coated steel should never be immersed in water, which creates cracking and scaling. A wet brass wire brush will remove the worst residue. Cast-iron grates should be cleaned the same way; immersing them in hot soapy water does no harm, but you’ll strip the “seasoning” (residue from cooking oils). Stainless-steel grates should be cleaned with a fine steel wool pad or a scouring sponge and soapy water.

Burner Elements
This is where the unseen problems tend to happen. Clogged burners can cause flare-ups. Drippings and residue can clog burner holes, and spiders often clog the burner or valve by nesting inside or by leaving web residue behind. To prevent problems, remove the burner and use a brush to clean out all the holes and the intake tube. Flush the burner element with a garden hose after cleaning to reveal any plugged holes. Infrared burners don’t experience the same buildup of grease, which is vaporized by heat.

Ceramic Briquettes
Simply turn them over to let the flame burn off the carbon buildup.

Grill Housing
Painted housings should be cleaned only with dishwashing detergent or an all-purpose household cleaner, and a nonabrasive sponge or scrubbing pad. Stainless-steel housings can be cleaned with a solution of baby oil, dishwashing detergent, and water. If grease or carbon buildup is a problem, they can be scrubbed a little more vigorously and cleaned with degreasers or sodium hydroxide cleaners. Don’t use caustic chemicals or oven cleaners.