After reading an article online on CBC News that details how very difficult, if not impossible it is for surgeons to remove bristles pieces of a BBQ grill brush after accidental ingestion, it got me thinking about it.
BBQ cleaner brush bristles can get lodged into the throat and esophagus but they can also travel through the body sometimes and cause organ damage, possibly even death (as in the case of organ puncture, etc.)
So the first thing I'm thinking about is how it isn't safe at all to use on a BBQ grill just in case a stray bristle sticks onto food and someone unknowingly ingests it. Ouch!
Another thought that comes to mind is that we leave ours hanging on our grill after we're done with our BBQ grill. That could easily be ingested by our dog if she decided to lick the brush. If it's difficult for a human surgeon to remove bristle pieces, it would be worse for animals.
It's unsettling to know that a cleaning tool for a BBQ can pose so much risk to those who use a grill brush with bristles to clean their BBQ grills.
It's such an issue that it has even been taken up at at this year's meeting of the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology. Generally it's hoped that widespread knowledge about this issue will help prevent injuries that the bristles can provoke. It really is true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
It would be terrible for any child adult or pet to ingest these bristles and so then you may be asking - what can you use to scrub the grill?
This Grill-Stone is wire free and will do a mighty job of a mega task. We have used this before and it's really good! It's sold at various Canadian Tire locations and you can look online first to see if it's available in your local store. It retails for $7.99 in-store.
Here are the features of this product that is safe to use:
- Removes burnt on food and grease from outdoor and indoor grills
- Works four times faster than conventional wire brushes/scrub pads and lasts longer
- Conforms to the shape of the surface being cleaned
- Can safely be used while surface is still warm
- Chemical-free and non-toxic
- Removes grime, cooking build-up, rust and corrosion from all metal or coated surfaces, including ceramic!
You can also try the Pay and Pick Up service at Canadian Tire if it's available.
Share this article with family and friends who may not be aware of this potential danger in the home. It's one that is not commonly known!
The link doesn't work :(
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/grillstone-grill-cleaning-block-0851307p.html#srp
Another option, got one for everyone in the family we all love it, you custom burn the wood to fit your grill: https://www.amazon.ca/Woody-Paddle-Natural-Scraper...
Thank you both, for your comments! The link has now been edited and is working now. That's kind of you alexcantin to jump in and share the link, :)
If the grilles are greased before use, not too hard to clean. Use some foil pieces to rub, followed with rinse of water and a nylon brush.
I checked out a story on CBC posted online August 31, 2016. It's entitled Canadian surgeons urge people to throw out bristle BBQ brushes. There were other articles dating much further back (one in 2005). Thanks for the warning!