The Grill Tool That Could Turn Dangerous Over Time

While cleaning your grill protects you from a number of health risks, relying on a particular tool to do it could also be dangerous. Grill manufacturer Nexgrill recently recalled over 10 million of its metal wire grill brushes because of defects that could cause their bristles to detach and cause physical harm (via the New York Times). According to culinary entrepreneur and Carnivore Style senior editor Gabrielle Yap, any wire grill brush could pose an injury risk with regular use.

When when Mashed consulted Yap about common grill cleaning mistakes, the senior editor shared, "Wire brushes are popular for their effectiveness, but if they start to wear out, bristles can break off and stick to the grill, potentially ending up in your food. This is a serious health hazard." When this happens, people can accidentally swallow the bristles, which can then puncture their mouths, throats, stomachs, and intestines.

What makes all this particularly concerning is that these injuries are becoming more common. A 2016 study published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery found 43 such incidents were reported between 2002 to 2014. The researchers extrapolated that an estimated 1698 emergency cases resulted from wire grill brush-related injuries. A separate 2026 study in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology found that the number of injuries more than doubled from 2015 to 2023, with an estimated count of 3739 cases based on 85 recorded instanced. The 2026 study went so far as to recommend banning wire grill brushes altogether, a sentiment previously expressed by the American College of Surgeons back in 2023.

There are, thankfully, a wide variety of other tools you could be using instead of wire grill brushes. Gabrielle Yap suggested using nylon-bristled brushes, which trade scrubbing power for safety over metal wire brushes, or silicone-layered brushes with cleaning coils. Heat-resistant fabric scrubbers are another safe option.

You can also make your own grill scrubber using a common kitchen item. All you need to do is crumple up some aluminum foil into a ball large enough to hold between a pair of tongs, and then scrub your grill while it's hot, making sure to remove any foil that gets stuck by wiping the grill with a wet cloth once it's cooled down. Alternatively, you can also clean your grill with a vegetable — onions do a surprisingly good job of cleaning warm grills.

If you absolutely must stick with using a metal wire grill brush, you can at least make it a little less dangerous with proper care and maintenance. Outside of regularly inspecting it for loose or brittle bristles, you'll want to replace your grill brush fairly often — once every season should be the bare minimum, and more frequently if you find yourself grilling all the time. The last thing you want is for your family to go from enjoying a barbecue in your backyard to rushing to the hospital because a metal wire has punctured someone's stomach. Even the best steaks ever aren't worth the risk of surgery.