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Coming Clean

Clean and fire up those grills!

Memorial Day is upon us. And that means just one thing - backyard barbecues.

Yes, friends, it is time for the annual ceremonial lighting of the grills. The ritual that truly kicks off the summer season.

But before you light that match or turn on the gas, you might want to take a closer look at that idle outsider.

That grill has been sitting now for six or seven months, accumulating dirt, insects, and rust.

Just as you wouldn't fry an egg in a dirty frying pan, you wouldn't throw that lovely swordfish steak on a dirty grate, would you?

Here's how to get your grill ready to go.

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About the Author

Tara Aronson is a native Californian. Having grown up in San Diego, she studied journalism and Spanish to pursue a career in newspaper writing. Tara, whose three children - Chris, Lyndsay, and Payne - are the light of her life, now lives and writes in Los Angeles. She also regularly appears on television news programs throughout the U.S.