Easily Clean Rusty Grill Grates With Ingredients You Have In Your Pantry

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When grilling season winds down in the fall, sometimes it's all we can do to remember to store the grill out of the elements. This can lead to some chagrin come spring when we open it up and find that the grill grates are now a rusty mess. Yes, it seems that many of us may not be cleaning the grill as often as we should. Luckily, this project is something that can easily be tackled using a few kitchen items you probably already have on hand.  

For a quick clean-up in between grillings, there's an edible pantry item that can come in handy: Half an onion can really clean your grill grates, because its enzymes can cut through the grease if rubbed on when the grates are hot. (Use a grill fork to handle the onion so you don't burn yourself.) As a bonus, the onion rub might even add a little flavor to your meat. However, for more heavy-duty de-gunking, dish soap and baking soda are what you need.

To give your grates a thorough cleaning, rub them all over with a paste made from baking soda and dish soap. Add about half a cup of baking soda to a basin of water large enough to hold the grates, and let them soak for half an hour. Do your best to scrub off all the schmutz that remains after soaking, then rinse the grates and reinstall them on the grill.

If you need to give your grill grates a thorough scrubbing to dislodge any rust or baked-on bits, you might want to think twice about using a wire brush. It seems these are prone to losing their needles, which can stick to the food and be ingested. They may cause injury to the mouth or throat, although in some cases they've been known to make it down to the bowels and cause painful perforations requiring surgery.

For safer grill cleaning, aluminum foil is a much better bet. Grab a piece of scrunched-up aluminum foil — used is okay — to scour the grates after you've rubbed them down with baking soda and dish soap as described above. You can also use it to clean the grill as it preheats: Simply lay a sheet of foil down to cover the grates, then remove it when the grill is hot. (Heat-proof gloves are a necessity, but you can purchase Zoptil grill gloves that are rated up to 147 degrees Fahrenheit for just $4.99 from Amazon.) Wad it up into a ball, then rub it all over the grates. After doing so, not only will your grill be nice and clean, but you needn't fear any foreign objects clinging to your food and threatening your innards.