You Should Never Clean Your Grill With A Wire Brush: Here's Why

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Nothing beats a nice evening when the grill is hot and there's plenty of food to go around. Most barbecue meals are so good, they're worth the extra elbow grease afterward to clean the literal grease off your grill. Yet while a wire bristle brush might seem like the obvious tool to grab to remove those stubborn burnt chunks from your grate, it's actually the last thing you should use. That's right — wire brushes are the worst choice for cleaning your grill.

From a practical standpoint, this might seem totally false. Wire bristles are great for tackling tough surfaces — just not ones that come in contact with food. Multiple reports show instances of Americans being hospitalized after accidentally ingesting a wire bristle that made its way into grilled food, including a 2016 study in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. A viral TikTok video even showed an emergency room doctor explaining the case of a young boy who swallowed a wire bristle while eating a hamburger and ended up needing surgery. In short, yes — this is an ongoing concern that could easily affect you and your family, especially if you love working the grill. While the chances may seem slim that a bristle will end up in your barbecue, the best solution is to ditch the wire brush altogether. Replacing a kitchen tool can seem tedious, but it's worth it to enjoy a classic hot dog or perfectly grilled skirt steak without the risk of injury.

So if you can't use a wire brush, what should you use instead? The easiest way to clean grease off a grill is by combining water and baking soda to make a cleaning paste, then scrubbing it away with a sponge or non-wire grill brush. There are plenty of bristle-free grill brushes that often come with a sponge and scraper attached — like this one by Kitwanda — so you can clean between grates and remove stubborn grime from a griddle. These are much safer to use, since there's no risk of spiky bristles getting lodged in your food.

For a more natural solution, you can ditch brushes and scrapers altogether and simply reach into your produce bowl. That's right — you can clean your grill with an onion by chopping it in half and scoring it so it fits between the grates. The onion's acid not only helps scrub dirt off the grate but also leaves behind a layer of seasoning and a non-chemical scent. But regardless of the method you use, anything is better than a brush with wire bristles. If you're making the switch to a new scraper or sponge, be sure to thoroughly check all parts of the grill grate to ensure there are no wires left behind that could ruin your food.