Memorial Day Weekend Grilling Alert for Minnesota

Memorial Day weekend is here -- the unofficial start to summer and grilling season in Minnesota. Before you clean your grill, you should know that sharp metal bristles on many brushes can get left behind after cleaning and stick to your food, posing a danger.

According to Consumer Reports, An estimated 1,700 Americans went to an emergency room between 2002 and 2014 after having ingested wire bristles in grilled food, according to a study published in 2016 in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. One in four of those with grill brush injuries had to be admitted to the hospital.

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Small, sharp bristles can break off as you're cleaning and get stuck to your grill's cooking surface. The next time you grill, those stray bristles may adhere to food and be accidentally ingested.

Experts at the Taste of Home say, "It's important to keep your grill clean, but using a wire grill brush can be more dangerous than helpful."

According to Consumer Reports, the highest-rated wire brush alternative is the Earthstone Grillstone, which outperformed most of the traditional brushes in testing.

The Grill Rescue Brush has 4.7 stars from Walmart and is everything you need to get your grill as clean as possible without the possibility of any nasty leftover wires.

For people with smaller grills, a giant brush isn’t really necessary. This Expert Grill Double Grill Brush and Scrub Pad is perfect for quick cleans between uses and really gets the job done.

You can also brush loose food particles off a warm grate with a wad of aluminum foil. Just make sure to let the grill grates cool down first to avoid injury.