The Dangerous Reason You Should Never Use a Wire Brush to Clean Your Grill
Updated: Jun. 28, 2023
It's important to keep your grill clean, but using a wire grill brush can be more dangerous than helpful.
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Wire grill brushes have always been the standard for cleaning grill grates. However, it’s been found that the bristles can actually break off and wind up in your food. Consumer Reports even issued a warning against using these brushes a couple years ago.
Here’s what you need to know about wire grill brush danger (and here’s a safer alternative—the Grill Rescue brush).
Why a Wire Grill Brush Can Be Dangerous
As you might expect, wire grill brush bristles are sharp. And one study revealed that between 2002 and 2014, around 1,700 Americans had to go to the emergency room after accidentally ingesting wire bristles. And those were just the reported cases! They can cause severe damage internally, and may even require emergency surgery.
Health Canada even pushed for a new national standard to help stop these incidents from happening.
Wire Grill Brush Alternatives
Luckily, this is a problem with an easy solution, because it’s possible to clean your grill grates without a wire brush. There are plenty of other methods that work just as well, if not better.
Use a grillstone
According to Consumer Reports, the highest-rated wire brush alternative is the Earthstone Grillstone, which outperformed most of the traditional brushes in testing.
Get a non-wire scraper
I’ve found that a non-wire scraper does the trick. The Grate Grill Scraper gets right between those grates!
Get a non-wire brush with a scraper
The Grill Rescue Brush has 4.7 stars from Walmart and is everything you need to get your grill as clean as possible without the possibility of any nasty leftover wires.
Try a grill brush and scrub pad
For people with smaller grills, a giant brush isn’t really necessary. This Expert Grill Double Grill Brush and Scrub Pad is perfect for quick cleans between uses and really gets the job done.
Grab your oven cleaner
You can treat your grill grate like an oven grate and use an oven cleaner to clean it. These cleaning methods should do the trick.
Crumple up aluminum foil
You can also brush loose food particles off a warm grate with a wad of aluminum foil. Just make sure to let the grill grates cool down first to avoid injury.
Tools for Cleaning Your Grill
How to Reduce Wire Grill Brush Danger
If you currently have a wire brush, give it a good once-over. If it has any loose or missing bristles, toss it. It’s better to use some aluminum foil on the fly than take a chance with the wire grill brush. Make sure to double-check your grill as well and to check for stray bristles stuck on the grates.
Now that you know how to avoid the hazards of a wire grill brush, let’s get to some great grilling. Here are dozens of grilling ideas to try tonight!
Grilled Scrum-Delicious BurgersI'm not sure where this recipe originated, but it's one of my family's summertime favorites. I usually serve these juicy mushroom burgers when we have company. The guests rave about the flavorful cheesy topping. It's fun to serve a burger that's a little more special. —Wendy Sommers, West Chicago, Illinois
Grilled Mahi MahiInstead of grilling the usual hamburgers or chicken breasts, prepare this grilled mahi mahi and reel in raves! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Grilled Flank Steak PinwheelsThe secret to these pretty flank steak pinwheels lies in their butterfly treatment. Because the steaks are flattened, marinade isn’t need. Instead, they’re filled with a colorful stuffing of red pepper and spinach and draped with a flavorful, homemade blue cheese sauce. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Spiced Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Lime ButterThis grilled chicken gets a lovely pop of color and flavor from the lime butter—don't skip it! —Diane Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas
Grilled Green Onion BurgersChange up this super tasty burger with your favorite toppings. Whip some mayo with hoisin sauce to add extra tang! —Darla Andrews, Schertz, Texas
Grilled Huli Huli Turkey DrumsticksI'm never one to do things traditionally, so when it came time to hosting Thanksgiving, I went in a completely tropical direction. Borrowing my favorite Hawaiian chicken recipe, I substituted turkey legs and have never looked back. —Jacyn Siebert, San Francisco, California
Chicken with Peach-Avocado SalsaThis super fresh dinner is pure summer—juicy peaches, creamy avocado, grilled chicken and a kick of hot sauce and lime. To get it on the table even quicker, make the salsa ahead. —Shannon Roum, Cudahy, Wisconsin
Aloha BurgersI love hamburgers and tropical fruit, so it just seemed natural for me to combine them. My family frequently requests this unique Hawaiian pineapple burger recipe. It's a nice change of pace! —Joi McKim-Jones, Waikoloa, Hawaii
Grilled Lobster TailsI had never tried grilling lobster tails at home until I tried this convenient and deliciously different recipe. It turned out amazing, and has left me with little reason to ever order grilled lobster tail at a restaurant again. Here's how to cook lobster tails on the grill. —Katie Rush, Kansas City, Missouri
Steak FajitasZesty salsa and tender strips of steak make these traditional fajitas extra special. —Rebecca Baird, Salt Lake City, Utah
Teriyaki Shish KabobsWhen I was a teenager, my father worked for an airline, and my family lived on the island of Guam in the South Pacific. A friend of my mother gave her this tangy-sweet recipe, and we enjoyed it often. Now I make it for my family, and they're big fans as well. —Suzanne Pelegrin, Ocala, Florida
Gourmet Burgers with Sun-Dried TomatoThis recipe brings together many of the flavors my family enjoys, complete with a surprise in the center of each burger. You can use almost any cheese—Gorgonzola, feta, smoked Gouda, blue or another family favorite. —Aaron Shields, Hamburg, New York
Papa BurgerWhen whipping up something for Father’s Day or the Fourth of July, I go big and tall with this fully loaded, juicy yumburger. —Chase Bailey, Costa Mesa, California
Steak & New Potato TossI usually use leftover barbecued steak to make this fabulous main dish salad. It's pretty, too, with the red pepper, green broccoli and white potatoes. —Deyanne Davies, Rossland, British Columbia
Grilled Pork Noodle SaladThe only complex thing about this easy salad is the flavor! With smoky barbecued pork and a variety of fresh herbs and vegetables, this is a comforting and tasty home-cooked meal. —Rosalyn Nguyen, Astoria, New York
Bacon Cheeseburgers with Fry SauceIn Utah, fry sauce is a beloved condiment. We use it not just as a dip for fries, but also as a spread for hamburgers. Utah is known as the Beehive State, so I added honey as a special touch to my fry sauce. —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah
Summer Garden Fish TacosI like to serve fish tacos with quinoa and black beans for a complete and satisfying meal. If you’ve got them, add colorful summer toppings like bright peppers, green onions or purple carrots. —Camille Parker, Chicago, Illinois
Cajun Boil on the GrillI came up with these everything-in-one seafood packets for a family reunion, since the recipe can be increased to feed a bunch. The foil steams up inside, so open carefully. —Allison Brooks, Fort Collins, Colorado
Steak with Chipotle-Lime ChimichurriSteak gets a flavor kick from chimichurri. This piquant, all-purpose herb sauce is so versatile, it complements most any grilled meat, poultry or fish. —Laureen Pittman, Riverside, California
Taco BurgersMy family loves the taste of tacos, but I dislike the mess! So I developed these burgers as a tasty but tidy alternative.—Linda Logan, Warren, Ohio
Barbecued Shrimp & Peach KabobsShrimp grilled with peaches and green onions really sets off fireworks! The spicy seasonings even helped me win a ribbon at a county fair. —Jen Smallwood, Portsmouth, Virginia
Southwest Steak & PotatoesBold seasonings give meat and potatoes a Southwest twist. Feel free to adjust the heat factor by using more or less chili powder. —Kenny Fisher, Lancaster, Ohio
Barbecued BurgersI can't take all the credit for these winning burgers. My husband's uncle passed down the special barbecue sauce recipe. We love it on everything...it was only natural to try it on, and in, burgers. Add cheese and bacon to take them over the top. —Rhoda Troyer, Glenford, Ohio
Grilled Huli Huli ChickenI got this grilled chicken recipe from a friend while living in Hawaii. It sizzles with the flavors of brown sugar, ginger and soy sauce. Huli means "turn" in Hawaiian. This sweet and savory glaze is fantastic on pork chops, too. —Sharon Boling, San Diego, California
Honey-Glazed Chicken KabobsThis is my husband’s favorite "special day" meal. I serve it with rice pilaf, salad and grilled garlic bread. —Tracey Miller, Aiken, South Carolina
Grilled Tilapia PiccataWe aren’t big fish eaters, but a friend made this for us, and we couldn’t believe how wonderful it was! Now we eat it regularly. I love making it for guests because it’s simple, looks lovely and tastes restaurant-worthy. —Beth Cooper, Columbus, Ohio
Lemon Chicken SkewersChicken skewers with tender chunks of chicken and garden-fresh veggies are easy to assemble and are always a hit at parties. —Margaret Allen, Abingdon, Virginia
Buttery Grilled ShrimpThis grilled shrimp recipe is easy and delicious! These shrimp are great with steak, but for a special occasion, brush the sauce on lobster tails and grill. —Sheryl Shenberger, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Ricotta-Stuffed Portobello MushroomsThese mushrooms are rich and creamy and bright at the same time because of the fresh herbs and tomato. I especially like to serve them with grilled asparagus. —Tre Balchowsky, Sausalito, California
Grilled Steak PinwheelsI've been serving this recipe to family and friends for 20 years and very seldom do I have any leftovers. We try to keep the house cool, so we grill out often. —Mary Hills, Scottsdale, Arizona
Grilled Sausages with Summer VegetablesAfter 30 years of camping, we've come up with an arsenal of surefire recipes. Our grilled sausage with veggies would be a superstar at a potluck. —Nancy Daugherty, Cortland, Ohio
Grilled Eggplant Pita PizzasWe grow eggplants and love to use them for our special pizza. Grilling adds robust flavor to the crust, veggies and garlic. Waiting for the eggplants to grow is the hardest part! —Judy Barrett, Chelsea, Alabama
Originally Published: May 27, 2021
