View Full Version : Wire brush warning
zubby01
07-24-2014, 08:06 PM
Just an FYI for all of you out there.
My friend was grilling some chicken the other day and his son started choking while eating. He had to go to the ER and have surgery. Kinda scary.
One of the wire bristles off the grill brush that he used to clean the grill made its way into one of the pieces of chicken. The wire got lodged in his son's throat and they had to cut it out.
This also happened to me at a restaurant. I was eating some shrimp and thought I got some of the shell lodged in the back of my throat. I pulled out a wire bristle.
What are some alternatives you all use to clean your grill? I know my brushes get flimsy quickly and am rethinking using them. I wipe off the grate w/ a paper towel after using the brush but am leery now.
BeastMode
07-24-2014, 08:27 PM
I used to use wire brushes. I now have been using easy off and hosing down. Any stubborn baked on food or grease I use a handheld wallpaper scrapper with the blade on one end and roller on the other end for a smooth glide. I still always aggressively hose down both sides.
I'll definitely pass the word to those I know who use wire brushes and especially the old worn out bristles.
sunrise
07-27-2014, 10:24 AM
Absolutely agree. I have caught the wires on my grills/smokers before they have gotten into the food (I hope) I went to using a commercial brush/scraper from RD, they are expensive, but have really heavy bristles and dont brake off. I also found that a spray bottle of water while the grill is still hot works very well. Let the steam from the water clean, scrap at the same time, works pretty good.
loco_engr
07-27-2014, 01:28 PM
I like the Billy Bar:
http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_guide/grill_grate_cleaning.html
HTH
Piggysquealers
07-27-2014, 08:37 PM
Thanks for the heads up
rumproastiltskin
07-31-2014, 10:25 PM
Thanks for posting. That's something I've never even though about. And thanks loco_engr for posting the link - billy bar + block of oak = peace of mind.
that is scary glad his son is ok
grantw
07-31-2014, 10:54 PM
Crumpled up tin foil, even if it did end up inside you its not as sharp as steel brushes
This seems to be coming up a lot more lately. I got rid of my brushes a little while ago and have been using a few different things like wadded up foil, grill bricks (with a wet rag after that), and today I just got one of those pro type deals with the really stiff wires and butcher block handle. It was pricey, but I'm all about eliminating unnecessary risks to zero, especially when there is really nothing to gain from sticking with cheaper grill brushes.
I've heard too many bad stories, some of them first hand accounts on this site, to dismiss this.
Yambor44
08-01-2014, 09:40 AM
So with the pro type brushes, is there absolutely no way the wire will break off?
So with the pro type brushes, is there absolutely no way the wire will break off?
If I'm not mistaken it looks like the bristles aren't glued in - it's like a long bristle doubled over so both ends of the bristle come in contact with the surface to be cleaned. The one I got kind of looks like this:
http://www.ibexindustrialbrushes.com/php/images/full/638.jpg
I haven't used it yet as I just got it - it may be overkill for smaller grates like Webers, but it seems like it'd be good for getting a deep clean on expanded metal grates for bigger cookers. It was $24, which is a lot, but I think it'll be around for a very long time and probably end up costing less than using multiple cheaper brushes over the long run
Someone in another thread recommended grill bricks. I got one and it worked really well - it does wear down quickly, but they're only a couple/few bucks each and they really get the job done. I go behind them with either a damp or oily rag in case any grit from the brick is left behind.
http://www.homehardware.ca/products/300/45806702.jpg
Wadded up foil will get a lot of the stuff off a grate, but these bricks are good for getting the stuff that foil doesn't, esp. if you're cooking something with a sugary sauce or teriyaki or something like that.
I would guess that a lot of the better quality grill brushes are probably fine and won't shed, but when it comes to feeding other people and the risk of a small piece of metal getting into someone's system, "probably" doesn't do it for me, especially, as I've mentioned, there's really no loss in using something else.
Sammy_Shuford
08-01-2014, 11:06 AM
A good source said to get a welder's brush. ??
Bperkins01
08-01-2014, 11:16 AM
I started using the welders brushes.. the bristles are very very heavy and it would be much more difficult to not notice one of them.. it would be like chewing a hard fish bone.
ButtBurner
08-01-2014, 11:20 AM
I use a welding brush also
SmokerKing
08-01-2014, 11:23 AM
I've been using high quality welding brushes for over 30 years to clean my grill grates.
Beware of some of the Harbor Freight and Home Depot brushes. I've had the bristle wires come off of them.
moubike1
08-01-2014, 12:28 PM
2X aluminum foil. Was kitchen manager at a large rest. years ago. Had a guy call in saying he had a staple in his food that it was lodged in his throat. Turned out to be a bit of chewed aluminum foil from his to go order. Never even had staples in my kitchen, for obvious reasons.
Tricky
08-01-2014, 04:15 PM
Thanks to everyone. When I first read this thread (or another one like it recently) my honest first reaction was that everyone was being a bunch of old nellies and that people have been using wire brushes for years. But the more I've thought about it and as I've read a bit more, I can't actually see any good justification for using a regular BBQ wire brush anymore when there are folks out there who have had very real and very serious complications, and given that there are much safer alternatives out there. The sign of my conversion came last weekend when I handed three different grill brushes to my son as he was walking toward our trash dumpster and said "chuck 'em out."
Smoke®
08-01-2014, 04:34 PM
I had a wire brush leave wires on a grate stuck in some of the cooked on residue and quit using them. I have a large commercial stainless sink in my cook shack that I soak my grates in and then use a large sponge with a scotch bright pad on one side. Easy, safe and clean!
Vision
08-01-2014, 04:36 PM
I only use weber brushes. Never seen a loose bristle.
toymaster
08-01-2014, 04:56 PM
I like this. It can reach the back of my smoker even when I am steam cleaning.
Amazon.com : The Last Brush : Hair Brushes : Patio, Lawn & Garden@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21R8qSL444L.@@AMEPARAM@@21R8qSL444L
meatpacker
08-01-2014, 05:37 PM
At restaurants I have found pieces of aluminum foil on my baked tator several times. They wrap them in foil and then cut them with a knife tearing pieces of foil into the food. If your eyes are poor or the restaurant has bad lighting, you may not see the foil.
jham0077
08-01-2014, 08:38 PM
Uh oh... I got a hand-held Scotch Brite Grill Scrubber after the last loose bristle thread I read. I don't like it though.
UDSPowercat
08-01-2014, 11:28 PM
Plus 1 on the tin foil, it's pretty hard to find anything better.
Faston
08-02-2014, 09:22 PM
Tossed all my brushes when I saw a bristle left on the grate that was almost impossible to see. I usually just use 3M Scotch Brite. Will use a spatula to scrap if necessary but not normally required. I always rinse the heck out of the grate, let it dry in sun, then spray canola oil..done.
AClarke44
08-02-2014, 09:30 PM
I ditched the wire brushes this year too. Seems ever summer I hear news of someone ending up in the ER because of them. I've picked them off my grill and food in the past not worrying about them but I finally got smart and tossed them. I use heavy duty foil now. Not worth my family or friends ending up in a bad situation!
zubby01
08-02-2014, 09:57 PM
I notice that the wire brushes don't last too long. Maybe using them on high heat wears 'em out quicker and that's when they start leaving the bristles behind. I notice too how 'fine' some bristles are they leave and they're really hard to see.
Appreciate all the responses here weighing in if it helps people to avoid an accident.
food4thot
08-02-2014, 11:09 PM
Never had a problem with a brush on open rack but have seen loose bristles when using a Weber cast iron griddle. Rinse the thing on an angle with a tea kettle full of hot water and a wad of foil before using now
crimsonaudio
08-02-2014, 11:39 PM
Scary - I've always scraped, not brushed, but only because it seemed more effective. Thanks for sharing.
Jadog
08-03-2014, 08:15 AM
Sometimes I use a half of an onion to scrub the grill after it heats up.
Casey
08-03-2014, 11:51 AM
Thanks for the post and all of the good suggestions
Trailer Trash
08-03-2014, 01:51 PM
I hit my grills with a Harbor Freight weed burner until all is just char then use aluminum foil with a long tong to clean up. Works great. I can't imagine how my wife and I would feel if this happened to one of our guests... Thank you for the re-post!
zubby01
08-03-2014, 10:17 PM
Here is more info I found from one of your links:
Foreign object ingestion is a common reason for visiting an emergency department (ED), particularly for children (1–3). In recent years, internal injuries have been reported following unintentional ingestions of wire grill-cleaning brush bristles by both children and adults (4–6). A series of six cases from a single hospital system with two EDs during July 2009–November 2010 was reported previously (4). This report describes a series of six more cases identified at the same hospital system during March 2011–June 2012. The six patients ranged in age from 31 to 64 years; five were men. Like the patients in the previous series (4), all six reported outdoor residential food grilling and use of commercially available wire grill-cleaning brushes. The severity of injury ranged from puncture of the soft tissues of the neck, causing severe pain on swallowing, to perforation of the gastrointestinal tract requiring emergent surgery. Awareness of this potential injury among health-care professionals is critical to facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, awareness among the public, manufacturers who make wire grill-cleaning brushes, and retailers who sell these products can reduce exposures and decrease the likelihood of further occurrences. Before cooking, persons should examine the grill surface carefully for the presence of bristles that might have dislodged from the grill brush and could embed in cooked food. Alternative residential grill-cleaning methods or products might be considered.
The first of the six most recent cases was identified on March 14, 2011, and the latest on June 3, 2012. Medical staff members continue to conduct surveillance for additional cases of injury from ingested wire grill-cleaning brush bristles treated in the hospital system.
Case Reports
A man aged 50 years arrived at the ED with abdominal pain that had begun after eating steak at a backyard barbeque. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis revealed a linear object extending through the wall of a loop of small intestine into the omentum (Figure). Laparotomy was performed to remove the foreign body, which appeared to be a wire bristle from a grill-cleaning brush. The patient fully recovered and was discharged the next day.
Five more patients visited the ED during August 2011–June 2012 after inadvertent ingestion of a wire bristle that had become dislodged from a grill-cleaning brush and embedded in food. In all of the cases, the bristles were initially identified by radiographs of the neck or CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis, and their origin was confirmed after removal (Table). Patient interviews revealed a common history of recent ingestion of grilled meat. After definitive treatment, all six patients recovered fully.
Severe pain on swallowing was the chief symptom in three of the six patients. In all three of these patients, a wire bristle from a grill-cleaning brush was found in the neck. The three included a woman aged 46 years and two men aged 50 and 64 years (Table). The three initially were evaluated with plain radiography, which identified the foreign object in each patient. One who was initially evaluated with plain radiography then underwent CT for precise localization. All three were treated successfully with laryngoscopic removal of the wire bristle.
Severe abdominal pain was the chief symptom of the other patients, who were three men aged 31, 35, and 50 years (Table). These patients were evaluated primarily with intravenous contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen and pelvis. In two patients, the wire bristle was noted lodged within the omentum adjacent to a loop of small intestine. In one patient, the wire bristle was located within the sigmoid colon, indenting the bladder. Two patients underwent emergency abdominal surgery to retrieve the foreign object and repair the intestine. In one patient, the wire had not perforated the intestine and was removed via colonoscopy.
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