Weber gas grills need regular cleaning to operate at peak efficiency. The appliance will also last longer and be more enjoyable to use with regular, preventive maintenance. Plus, food tastes better on a clean grill. The cooking grates should be scrubbed before each use, with a more thorough cleaning every couple of months, depending on how frequently the grill is used. Weber grills can cost several hundred dollars, so preventing rust and keeping the appliance clean also protect your investment.

Turn the valve counter-clockwise on the side of the propane tank to release gas to the grill.

Press and turn one of the burner knobs and press the igniter button at the same time to start the grill.

Turn on all burners by adjusting the control knobs on the front of the grill, setting the burners to high heat.

Close the cover and let the burners heat the interior for 15 minutes. This will burn off grease and old food particles from the lava rocks, rough chunks of rock inside the grill used to hold heat for cooking. The 15-minute burn period will also remove virtually all of the grease from the cooking grates.

Turn the burner control knobs to the "Off" position to shut off the grill.

Turn the valve clockwise on the side of the propane tank to shut off gas from the tank to the grill as a safety precaution.

Raise the grill cover and scrub the grill grates immediately with a stainless steel brush. Use a balled-up piece of aluminum foil if a brush is unavailable.

Allow the grates to cool. Then remove grates from the grill by lifting straight up and off.

Pour about two tablespoons of cooking oil into a wad of paper towels and rub the oil onto the top and bottom sides of the grates.

Use the dust brush and pan to sweep up soot from the inside bottom of the grill around the base of the burners. If the pan will not fit inside the grill, sweep the debris to one side and lift the debris away with wet paper towels.

Turn the lava rocks upside down to expose the other side of their surfaces to heat. This will make the lava rocks last longer.

Replace the oiled cooking grates and close the grill cover.

Spray the entire exterior of the grill with grill cleaner, which is available at hardware stores. Allow the cleaner to work for 10 minutes. Then wipe it away with paper towels.

Rub the exterior of the grill with a towel to dry and place a vinyl cover over the grill until the next use. Vinyl covers are available at hardware and department stores.