Neighbor caught me scraping my grill with a wire brush and set me straight

I was out cleaning my gas grill last Saturday after a cookout and my neighbor Bob walked over and asked why I wasn't using a ball of aluminum foil instead. He said the wire bristles can break off and get in your food, which I never even thought about. Has anyone else switched to foil or am I the last person to figure this out?

2 comments

2 Comments

juliawalker1mo ago

..and honestly Bob might have saved you from a trip to the ER. I used to think the wire brush was the only way to get those burnt bits off until I read a news story about a guy who swallowed a wire bristle and it got stuck in his throat. That was enough for me. Now I just crumple up a big ball of heavy duty foil and scrub with that instead. It takes a little more elbow grease but I'd rather have clean food than risk it.

the_lisa1mo ago

Actually that foil trick works pretty well but you gotta be careful with that too... I read somewhere that tiny bits of aluminum can flake off and get into your food same as wire bristles might. Not as scary as a wire in your throat I guess but still not great. I switched to using one of those wooden grill scrapers with the brass bristles instead. Way sturdier than the wire ones and they don't shed little bits everywhere. Also you can buy a grill stone that's basically a pumice block for like 8 bucks... those work great on porcelain grates without leaving any metal behind.