Wire Grill Brushes Might Leave Behind Errant Bristles. Here’s What You Can Use Instead. (2025)

“I prefer wire grill brushes because they’re the fastest and most effective way to get soot and burnt food off of the grates super fast,” said senior staff writer Lesley Stockton, author of our guide to how to clean a grill. In our guide to the best grill tools and accessories, we recommend the sturdy Bryan Stove Best BBQ Grill Brush.

There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of ingesting errant wire bristles. Lesley said she developed a three-step method while working in a professional kitchen, and she still employs this method today.

First, while the grill grates are at their hottest, right before cooking, use a wire grill brush to remove caked-on food. Next, go over the grates with a wet rag, using tongs to remove any soot or food that’s turned to carbon. Finally, wipe down the grates with a clean paper towel and some vegetable oil (to lubricate them).

You can also eliminate remaining grill-brush wires by using one of our recommended alternatives (below) after you’ve scraped your grill.

While members of our team conducted testing for the best grill tools and accessories guide, they didn’t observe signs of breakage or shedding from the Bryan Stove Best BBQ Grill Brush. As with any wire grill brush, however, there is a slight risk of a wire bristle getting in your food. If you prefer to avoid this risk entirely, opt for a wire-free cleaning tool.

Even with consistent use, wire grill brushes can last for years. But you should inspect your brush before each use, checking it for loose, damaged wires, and replace it when you see signs of wear. Cleaning writer Caroline Mullen advises giving the brush a firm shake to see if any bristles fall off — a definite sign that it’s time to get a replacement.

To be extra-cautious, Caroline recommends replacing your wire grill brush each year (depending on how often you use it), especially if it’s been stored outside over the winter, since snow and rain can corrode these brushes. If you use your brush frequently, you might want to replace it even sooner.

If you’d rather forgo wire grill brushes altogether, you can use one of these wire-free options. In some cases, they are just as effective as wire-bristle grill brushes.

The Great Scrape Woody Shovel is the best wire-free grate cleaner we’ve tested. The hardwood paddle’s straight, tapered edge takes on the pattern of your grill’s grates as you scrape along them while they’re still hot. During testing, this tool effectively cleared sticky, cooked-on sauce as well as charred bits. And the handle provides a firm grip.

It takes some practice to break in this wooden shovel, however. For the most effective cleaning, you’ll need to exert sufficient pressure to create deeper grooves that really hug your grates.

Also, you can’t use this tool on multiple grills, unless they all have the exact same grill-grate pattern. So this paddle is less versatile than a wire grill brush and the other options we’ve included in this list.

If you prefer stainless steel to a foam kitchen sponge, the Scotch-Brite Stainless Steel Scrubber performs similarly to a wire grill brush, albeit without the handle.

In our guide on how to clean a grill, Lesley recommends pairing the scrubber with 12-inch tongs, so you keep hands away from the heat. It’s abrasive enough to rival a wire grill brush, but it’s not as likely to leave traces of metal bristles behind. Still, if you do use this scrubber, every time you cook, you should first inspect your grill’s grates to check for any stray pieces.

A wadded-up ball of aluminum foil can work in a pinch. However, we strongly advise against lining your grill with aluminum foil (to catch grease) or using it as a tarp over the grill grates (to help burn off stuck-on food bits). These actions could void your grill’s warranty — and they’re just dangerous.

According to Weber, placing aluminum foil inside a grill can restrict proper grease flow into the catch pan, potentially resulting in a grease fire or flare-up. Most grill warranties, including Weber’s, won’t cover what they call “burn-through” damage, which is damage caused by excessive heat exposure (such as from a grease fire).

Two other wire-free, low-cost, effective scrubbing options include a Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge and a scouring pad, like the Heavy Duty Scotch-Brite Scour Pad. (The Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge is Wirecutter’s favorite sponge and one of our 18 must-have cleaning essentials.)

These cleaning tools are flexible, textured, and terrific for deep cleaning and getting into a grill’s hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. “It’s tough enough to remove stuck-on grease, but it won’t damage the more delicate parts of your grill,” said Lesley, who often relies on scouring pads when she’s cleaning grills.

Caroline’s testing also confirmed that the Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge is a reliable grill-cleaning tool. She said she used it to deep-clean and scrub away built-up burger grease after a week’s worth of consistent grilling.

However, since scrubbing with a sponge or a scouring pad alone requires a good amount of elbow grease, Caroline recommends using it alongside Great Scrape’s Woody Shovel.

Before going in with the sponge and hot, soapy water, use the wooden tool to dislodge any stuck-on pieces. Then, once the grill has cooled down, use the sponge and soapy water to scrub any remaining gunk off of the grates, body, and heat plates.

Not a one-and-done tool, the Grill Rescue Grill Brush should be used only after you scrape away stuck-on food with a wire brush or a wooden scraper. Otherwise, this brush’s heat-resistant fabric pad will tear, and you’ll have to order a replacement.

But as a secondary cleaner — and to wipe away any lingering wire bristles from a wire-brush scrubbing — this sponge-like brush efficiently clears away soot and loose debris. It is also sturdy, and it has an ergonomic, plastic handle. Marilyn Ong, Wirecutter’s senior kitchen editor, has been using hers for two summers.

To use the Grill Rescue brush, dunk it in water, and then use it on still-hot grill grates. The wet sponge creates billows of steam, and the steam helps to soften any leftover food, soot, and grease, making it easier to wipe away.

To restore a grill that’s been rusted or corroded, consider using a grill stone — a block of coarse pumice stone (yep, the same material that’s used for exfoliation). In testing, we found that grill stones work best when they’re run under water before they’re used on a hot grill, but they can also be used dry and on cool grills.

Grill stones are safe for use on cast-iron and stainless steel grill grates and griddles, but they’re not safe for use on grills with enameled cast-iron grates, whose surfaces could end up getting damaged. Blackstone, the cast-iron griddle manufacturer that makes our top griddle pick, does not recommend using a grill stone for daily cleaning, since it will strip your griddle of its seasoning.

Although a grill stone’s wide, flat surface works well on griddles, we found that this wasn’t the most effective way to clean cast-iron or stainless steel grill grates. A grill stone is meant to mold to the shape of your grill grates. But it requires outsize effort over several cleaning sessions to get it there, even with heat and water.

During testing, we also found that the grill stone left dust and debris on the grates. So after you use your grill, we recommend that you wipe it with a wet rag or one of the other wire-grill-brush alternatives on this list.

This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Katie Okamoto.