Time to Reassess Your Grill Cleaning Tools

While on vacation, actually on the 4th of July, we were having a traditional cookout.  During dinner, my wife pulls out a 3-inch wire bristle from her cheeseburger (photo attached).  Fortunately she didn't consume it.  I read this morning that there are many patients now arriving at EDs across the country having ingested similar pieces of wire from a grill cleaning brush (see photo).  I didn't really think about it until Pamela was holding a piece of wire in her hand as to how dangerous a grill brush can be especially one that is falling apart.  For years, I simply used aluminum foil rolled into a ball with an oven mitt to clean the grill.  But, when Williams Sonoma came out with their grill cleaning brush, I had to have one.  It was much easier to use than tin foil.  I have resorted to the tin foil alternative once again after seeing the nearly ingested wire bristle and reading about how dangerous an ingested bristle can be to one's throat, stomach, intestines or other organs.  As the official "grill master," I would have felt horrible if anyone would have swallowed a wire bristle because of my lack of attention to detail.  So, use this blog as a wakeup call.  If you have a grill brush, especially one with a scouring pad component, toss it!  There is a lot of information out there as to how to properly care for your grill; start using it.