STEP 1
Don't take to the barbecue with the garden hose - you will make an almighty mess and could damage the ignition system and block the gas injectors. Start by disconnecting the gas bottle or town gas from the barbecue, then take it apart: remove the hood, plates, grills, the tray of rocks and drip tray; pull the knobs off the gas taps; then release and lift out the burners.

STEP 2
If you scrape your hotplate and grills after every use the build-up of burnt fat should not be too bad. Otherwise, you will need to scrape first with Griller Killer or a similar product that can scrape off layers of hard fat and other burnt offerings. There is little point in cleaning your cooking surfaces until they sparkle because they'll be black again after your next barbecue. Just remove the bumps, leaving an oily film on the cooking surfaces to protect against rust. If the plates and grills are very dirty, lay them out on newspaper on the lawn and splay them with oven cleaner. Leave for about 10 minutes then, wearing rubber gloves, scrub with a scourer pad and wipe away the mess with newspaper Use this technique to remove difficult and thick residues left on the main frame of your barbecue

STEP 3
The knobs could break if the gas valve controls are stiff Spray valves with WD-40 then work them in and out and from side to side to soften old lubricant. Re-oil with light machine oil and coat the valves with Vaseline to keep the lubricant in and water out. If the valves are too far gone, buy replacements from a good barbecue specialist shop.

STEP 4
Never use harsh cleaners on stainless steel. Clean stainless steel and baked paint surfaces with water and a micro-fibre glove, such as the Enjo Outdoor Glove (larger than the kitchen glove with two grades of micro-fibres for light and heavy cleaning). Spray a little water on the surface and wipe it with the heavy-duty side of the Enjo glove. Stains may need more rubbing. Rub on some soda water if stains are persistent. Once clean and dry, wipe over with a stainless steel cleaning oil (available from stainless steel specialists) to add a protective layer and to make it easier to clean in the future. Use a soft cloth and hot soapy water for barbecues with painted surfaces

STEP 5
Reassemble the barbecue Wipe the grill and hotplate with cooking oil Discard the oily sand in the drip tray, wipe clean and re-line with aluminium foil. A little cooking oil under the foil will keep it in place. Fill with new litter or sand. Replace the volcanic rocks

STEP 6
Check gas bottlesand hoses for cracks and leaks. Gas bottle exchange services weed out old, dangerous bottles, but it's still worth checking the connections. If the barbecue is connected to natural gas, also check the connections. Put soapy water over all fittings. Gas leaks will cause the soap to bubble. Install a gas fuse for extra protection. If you don't t want to run out of bottled gas, or fill half-full bottles, keep a second bottle handy, just don't store it inside

STEP 7
The first time you use the cleaned barbecue, turn all burners to high for 5-10 minutes, let the rocks and cast iron get very hot, then turn the barbecue to low and wipe with Canola oil before cooking.