Guidelines on How to Clean a Grill Grate without a Brush

Last Update On : 27 January 2021

If you want tasty and hygienic food you must clean your grill grate but if you don’t want to use a brush you can still clean your grill grate with various other methods.

A lot of people like to barbeque on the weekend with friends and family. Some even barbeque twice or thrice a week. Very few use their barbeque grill every day. No matter how many times you use your grill, it is very important to clean it after every use. Otherwise, it will start to rust and soon will be unusable. The buildup on your grill will also affect the taste of your food. So, you have no choice but to clean your grill every time you use it and you should deep clean your grill once a year. If you use a brush every time you clean your grill, the brush will wither away and you will need to buy a lot of brushes which is a waste of money. To save yourself from the money and effort you can learn how to clean a grill grate without a brush. If you don’t know how to clean a grill grate without a brush and want to learn then keep reading. I will also provide some grill cleaning tricks here.

Contents

1 Why is it Important to Clean a Grill Grate?

Why is it Important to Clean a Grill Grate?

A dirty grill grate is unhygienic to cook food on and it can also smell bad if it is left uncleaned for too long. Since most grills are situated outside, a dirty grill grate can attract rodents and insects. If you don’t clean your grill every time you use it, your grill will rust and will be unusable very soon. If you take care of your grill it can last you a lifetime and to take care of your grill, you must clean it. There are many ways to clean a grill grate.

How to Clean a Grill Grate without a Brush?

Usually, people use a brush to clean a grill grate. If you want to clean your grill grate without a brush you can use the methods below:

1.Examine Your Grill Grate:

To clean your grill grate you must first examine it and determine what material it is made of. There are grill grates made of porcelain, iron, or stainless steel. Each of them requires different methods to clean them. If you cannot determine the material by yourself, you can read the manual that came with your grill.

2.Clean Your Grill with an Onion:

Everyone has onion in their house. First, you need to cut an onion in half and then rub the halved onion on the grill. The acidic enzyme in the onion will get rid of the grease. It will not be as useful as chemical products but you can use this method once or twice. It will leave an onion flavor on your grill. After rubbing the grill with onion, wipe it with a damp cloth to clean it more thoroughly.

3.Use Crumpled up Aluminum Foil:

Just like onions, Aluminum foils can be found in every household. Grab some Aluminum foil, crumple it up into a ball and rub it across the grill with a pair of tongs. Aluminum foil will get rid of grease and bits of food easily. If you want better result use a bit of liquid soap with your Aluminum foil. Aluminum foil will not leave behind bristles. So, it is safe to use.

4.Use Warm Water:

First, let your grill cool down. Then take some rags and a bucket of hot water. Be careful not to burn your hands. Soak the rags in the water and start scrubbing. You will have to use a lot of your strength to clean the grill grate by this method. But it is the safest and cheapest method. You do not need any chemical products or any fancy equipment to clean your grill. Remember to wear gloves to protect your hands. This method may work for regular cleaning but for regular cleaning, you need something stronger.

5.Use a Wooden Scraper:

If there are harden bits of food on your grill which cannot be cleaned with soap or water, use a wooden scraper. Once the grill grate cools, scrape it with a wooden scraper. Be careful not to nick the grate. A wooden scraper will scrape away bits of food but it will not get rid of the grease. So, using a wooden scraper is not a permanent solution.

6.Use vinegar and Baking Soda:

Remove the grate from the grill. Take a garbage bag and mix baking powder and vinegar in it. Put the grate in the garbage bag and leave to soak overnight. After 24 hours, remove the grate from the bag. You will see that most of the bits of food have fallen off and the grease has been removed. If there is anything left, wipe it away with a cloth. This method is very effective but if your grill grate is made of iron then there is a chance of rust and eroding. You can only use this method if your grill grate is made with ceramic or stainless steel.

7.Use Ammonia:

If your grill grate hasn’t been cleaned in a long time or if you want to deep clean your grill grate, you will need something stronger. You can mix ammonia with water or with vinegar and baking soda if you want a stronger mixture. Whatever the case may be put the mixture in a garbage bag and let the grill grate soak overnight. In the morning, when you remove it from the bag you will see that your grill grate is as good as new. This is one of the best methods of cleaning a grill grate but ammonia is a strong chemical. So, rinse the grill grate thoroughly after soaking it in an ammonia mixture and make sure to wear gloves on your hand while handling any chemicals.

8.Oil Your Grill Before Cooking:

Before you use your grill, oil it thoroughly so that food does not stick to your grill. If you oil your grill, it will be easier to clean it. But oiling your grill will make it greasy and you will have to clean it thoroughly to get rid of the grease and oil. But cleaning oil is easier than cleaning bits of burned food. Oiling your grill will also improve the taste of your food. Remember to reapply oil from time to time while cooking.

9.Clean Your Grill Using a Steamer:

If you have a portable steamer in your house you can use it to clean your grill grates. Remove the grill grate and place it on the ground. Use the portable steamer to dislodge any grime. The steam from the steamer will soften harden bits of food. So, you can remove them easily with a swipe of a cloth.

ALSO READ: HOW TO CLEAN A GRILL GRATE WITHOUT A BRUSH

Reasons You Shouldn’t Use a Brush to Clean Your Grill Grate

The bristles from the grill brush can dislodge and fall in your food. These bristles are so fine that even surgeons have a hard time finding them. So, they are very dangerous, especially to children. But it is unhygienic to keep your grill dirty. Dirty grills can cause health problems as well as ruin the taste of food. So, you must clean your grill grates but without any grill brush. There are many ways to clean a grill grate without using any brush. Few of the methods are discussed in this article. You can apply any of them or all of them according to your needs. To a food lover, a barbeque grill is a useful tool. If you want your grill to last a long time you must take care of it and to take care of it, you must clean it.

Advantages of Cleaning a Grill Grate without a Brush

You can clean your grill grate with tools that can be found in every household. You will have to buy a new grill brush every few months. But if you clean your grill grate with baking soda, vinegar, warm water, or onion it will save you a lot of money. These are safer than a grill brush. Bristles of a grill brush can fall off easily which can get on your food and cause accidents. So, it is safer not to use a grill brush to clean your grill grate.

Conclusion:

You must clean your grill grate every time you use it. The longer you let your grill grate sit dirty, the harder it will be to clean. There are many ways to clean a grill grate. Some of the methods are discussed here. You can use any or all of them. Just don’t use a grill rush. It can be injurious to health. In this article, we talk about various ways to clean a grill grout without using a grill rush. Hope you found this helpful.

ALSO READ: CLEANING CAST IRON GRILL GRATES