4 Tips to Maintain Your Grill

(Family Features) Regular maintenance is important for ensuring the performance and longevity of your grill. By properly maintaining your outdoor cooking appliance, you can prevent rust, extend its lifespan and ensure it cooks food safely.

Neglecting grill maintenance can lead to the buildup of grease and food particles as well as decreased cooking efficiency, safety hazards and necessary repair or replacement. A clean grill typically produces better-tasting food by preventing the transfer of unwanted flavors from previous meals.

By taking the time to properly care for your grill with these tips, you can help ensure its performance and longevity.

Clean and Season the Grates
Regularly cleaning and seasoning grill grates can help keep them in top condition. Start by heating the grill to a high temperature to burn off leftover food and grease. Once hot, use a grill brush to scrub away residue. After cleaning, rinse grates thoroughly with water and dry thoroughly. Once dry, apply a thin layer of cooking oil to prevent rust, keep food from sticking, maintain the flavor of your food and ensure even cooking.

Inspect and Clean the Burners
To ensure efficient heat distribution and prevent flare-ups, it’s important to inspect and clean your gas grill’s burners. Before cleaning, turn off the gas supply and disconnect the propane tank. Remove the burners and check for any signs of damage or corrosion. Use a wire brush to clean debris or buildup and a thin wire or paperclip to clear any clogs. After cleaning, reassemble burners and check for proper alignment. Make sure there are no gas leaks and the burners ignite properly.

Check and Replace Parts as Needed
To extend the lifespan of your grill, regularly check and replace any worn or damaged parts. Inspect components, such as the ignition system, cooking grates, control knobs and propane connections for signs of wear and tear, rust or loose connections. If you notice any issues, replace the parts as soon as possible.

Protect Your Grill from the Elements
If you have a grill cover, use it whenever your grill is not in use to shield it from rain, snow and the sun’s rays. If you don’t have a cover, consider investing in one or store your grill in a sheltered area away from strong winds and extreme weather conditions. Regularly clean your grill’s exterior using mild soap and water. Avoid using abrasive cleaners that can damage the finish to help prevent rust, corrosion and other damage caused by exposure to the elements.

Find more tips to make the most of grilling season at eLivingtoday.com.

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5 Tips for Organizing Your Home Office

(Family Features) When temperatures creep up again, it signals time for an annual tradition: spring cleaning. While big projects like windows are hard to overlook, don’t forget smaller areas that need attention, too, such as your home office.

Making sense of a year’s worth of paperwork and clutter can take some serious time, especially as many people have been working from home more than normal, but getting organized can help you tackle home management tasks more efficiently. Making the office a priority can reduce frustration when it comes to spending additional time in your office while working from home.

These five tips can help get you started:

1. Make sure you have furniture that can adequately store your stuff, including plenty of space for files, reference books and computer equipment. Pieces need not be costly to be functional and there are plenty of attractive options available online and at both small and major retailers.

2. Arrange the space with its intended use and your own work style in mind. For example, if you don’t need ample space to spread out over a large, flat work area, eliminate that space – it’s simply an invitation for clutter.

3. Place items you rely on frequently, such as a calculator or ruler, within arm’s reach so they can easily be put away between uses. Capture these items in containers and bins to keep the space looking neat and free of clutter.

4. Establish a filing system that lets you keep track of important papers you need to keep and have a shredder handy to help you discard any sensitive documents. Whether you alphabetize, color code or use some other method, group paperwork into segments for categories such as bills, banking, health care, auto, insurance and so on for easy access in the future.

5. Tangled cords can make even the most organized spaces look messy, and they may pose a fire or tripping hazard. Get control of your cords by storing devices you don’t use regularly and securing the remaining cords with twist ties or clips. Remember to use a surge-protected power strip to minimize the chance of damage should a power surge occur.

Find more tips to make your workspace tidy and organized at eLivingtoday.com.

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