The best thing we have found is carb cleaner, not as dry as ether. I is light enough to fire easy without any kick back. Open the throttle blades spray good down into the intake, close blades spray them and fire it up.
If you are injected without a primer system this works great and you can spray the blades if it starts to die before picking up fuel. Primer system just using gas is just as good or better though.
Curtis