The #1 Reason to Throw Away Your Wire Grill Brush

Small, but mighty

How can something so tiny wreak so much havoc?

Those brass or steel bristles can break loose, and when they do, they tend to stick to cooked food, whether it’s the bits and pieces stuck on the grill grates or the actual food that finds its way onto your paper plate and into your mouth. Once they’re ingested, the bristles, which “are fine, quite sharp and easily poke into tissue where they become lodged, can be hard to see due to their small diameter,” says Prince. “Once they are deeply imbedded, they can be very difficult to find and remove.”

Research, including a study published in SAGE Open Medical Case Reports, shows just how hard they are for doctors to spot during an exam. Their minute size and tendency to migrate make diagnosis tricky — especially early diagnosis, which is critical to timely treatment. And the symptoms — a sore throat, fever, difficulty swallowing — can point to any number of conditions.

“Time is of the essence to avoid any complications,” says Sara Andrabi, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. With each swallow, the bristles can penetrate further into the tongue or throat muscles, and the further they become lodged, the more difficulty they are to locate and remove. The American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Canada have issued warnings regarding the risks of grill-bristle ingestion.

What to use instead

To stay safe, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery suggests the following:

• Examine your wire grill brush closely before each use.
• Discard any loose or dangling wire bristles.
• Inspect the grill’s grates before placing food on them.
• Check your food after grilling for any potentially harmful particles.

And Consumer Reports suggests replacing the brush after 100 uses or at the end of every grill season.

Better yet, advises Prince, toss your wire grill brushes. “A number of people are injured by these wire bristles each year, and simply changing the way you clean your barbecue grill or other cooking surfaces can eliminate this risk completely,” he says. “Just stop using the wire bristle brush. The bristles are fine and very difficult to see if they become dislodged from the brush onto the grill and then are picked up on the food being served.”

Instead, use a pumice stone, grill stone or scraper, nylon-bristle brush, liquid grill cleaner, or simply grab a balled-up piece of aluminum foil and use grill tongs to hold it as you scrub your dirty grill grates. Cooking experts at Bon Appetit and Southern Living even recommend using an onion cut in half to scrape the grill clean.

But what if you’re not in charge of the grill? How can you safeguard against ingesting a bristle without insulting the grill master? “If you have access to the grill, check it for any loose bristles before cooking starts,” says Andrabi. “Before eating, inspect food for any visible bristles, especially if you notice anything unusual or sharp. You can politely inquire if a wire brush was used for cleaning the grill.”

Most importantly, she adds, “Inform friends and family about the dangers of wire grill brushes and advocate for safer alternatives.”