If you’re someone who scrolls headlines (or watches television shows like Grey’s Anatomy) then you’ve probably read a story or two about someone who accidentally ingested a piece of a wire grill brush during a bar-b-que.

It sounds sort of harmless but it’s definitely not, so you really shouldn’t be using those as regular cleaning tools for your equipment.

Seriously, watch this video and then we’ll get into the best method to clean your grill…

@beachgem10

One of my most interesting cases has a lesson that could save your life! #case #medicine #interesting #summer #ent

♬ original sound – Beachgem10

Okay, we’re back!

Those grills need to be used, so what tool do you need instead?

You’ve probably already got it in your house.

Yeah, tin foil. It’s an easy and cheap way to get the job done!

Experts say the first step is to heat your grill as hot as it will go with the lid closed. Leave it that way for 15 or 20 minutes, and when you open the lid, you should see that a lot of the gunk has fallen off on its own.

Then the tin foil springs into action!

Ball up some tinfoil, but leave the ball “loose” enough that you can get it into any grooves and cracks.

Now grab it with a pair of tongs or a heat proof glove, then “brush” it on the grill racks.

The foil is hard enough to get the job done but soft enough to not damage the grill or stick around to get lodged in the next round of delicious food.

But what if you don’t have tin foil? What if you want to use a more earth friendly alternative?

Use an onion!

Just cut it in half…

Put a fork in it…

And brush the grill. Of course you want to make sure the grill is hot so the pieces of gunk can be brush off, but the onion will provide enough friction to get it off.

It’s a win-win, and you don’t have to go buy anything new, either.

Go out there and get those grills clean!