by Do you know how to clean a rusty grill? The worst thing is popping open your grill in spring and finding a forest of rust growing back at you.
Besides being unhygienic and unappetizing, it’s really bad for your grill grate as well.
It’s fairly easy to get rid of the rust, and you can do it with a few household items. We’ll clearly show you how to do it.
In case you leave your barbecue outdoors, you may need to learn how to clean a rusty grill grates. Due to the outdoor exposure your grill receives, it can be difficult to keep the grates rust-free. Follow the article till the end.
Table of Contents
What you will need to clean a rusty grill?
- Toothbrush
- Steel wool
- Soap
- Scrubbing pad
- Water,
- Aluminum foil.
- electric griddle
1. Cleaning a rusty grill rack with a toothbrush
If the rust is fairly minor, use an old toothbrush to remove it. Use one that you don’t mind throwing away afterward because there will be rust particles in the bristles that you’ll have to rinse out after use. Run the brush along the grooves of the grill rack on both sides to loosen all of the gunk and rust from it.
On the other hand, you can also go for a coarse wire brush or steel wool.
2. Cleaning a rusty grill grate with steel wool
You can also use fine-grit steel wool to remove rust from your grill. This is an excellent choice if you have a fancy, expensive stainless steel grill.
Use the fine wire to scrub away at the rust and then wipe it up and away with a clean cloth. Finish by wiping down any residues with soapy water or an all-purpose cleaner like Simple Green®.
3. Cleaning a rusty grill with dish soap
Put some dish soap onto the toothbrush and scrub away, then rinse the surface of the grill with water to ensure that you’ve removed all of the residues from the soap. You can use any good-quality mild dish soap when cleaning your grill, but we recommend using one that includes bleach since it will help to kill any bacteria that might have taken up residence on your rack.
4. Cleaning a rusty grill with a Scrubbing pad
If the grates are really rusty, you can clean them with a Scotch-Brite® pad.
The pad itself is made of nylon and contains aluminum oxide, which is also abrasive and will help to remove rust from your rack completely.
In fact, that’s what the scrubbing pad was originally used for cleaning brushes.
5. Cleaning a rusty grill with Water
If the rust is so bad that you can’t even take the grates off to clean them, simply coat them with water. Scrub the rust away with a Scotch-Brite® pad or a wire brush.
Take extra care to ensure that you’ve removed all of the residues from soap or water from the grooves and crevices of your grill rack.
While cleaning rusted grill racks, make sure that you don’t scrub too vigorously since it can cause damage to your grates.
6. Cleaning a rusty grill with Aluminum foil
If you want to get the job done quickly, use aluminum foil to remove rust from your grill.
First, crumple a piece of foil into a ball and rub it along the surface of the rust spots to remove them completely.
You can then wipe off any residues with a Scotch-Brite® pad or a paper towel.
7. Cleaning a rusty grill with an electric griddle
If you don’t want to go the manual labor route, you can use an electric griddle to clean your grill quickly. If you have one, simply spray it down with some water and set it on high for about 15 minutes. The heated surface will draw out any rust that has built up in the grooves and crevices of your grill.
Afterward, wipe off the residue and pat dry with a towel.
Another post: How To Clean Glass Stove Top.
How to clean a rusty grill in 5 simple steps.
Following these simple 5 steps will be able to clean a rusty grill easily.
Step 1: Remove the grates from your grill.
Set them aside in a safe place. You don’t want to accidentally hammer your fingers with the sharp edges of a rusty gate.
Once they’re clear, you can now scrub down the grates with a Scotch-Brite® pad or a wire brush to remove any rust that may have accumulated on their surface. Be sure to clean them thoroughly.
Step 2: Clean the grates.
When you’re done scrubbing down the grill grates, then you can go on to clean them as well. Use some all-purpose cleaner or multipurpose spray for cleaning purposes. Spray a good amount of the cleaner onto your grill grates and scrub it gently with a Scotch-Brite® pad to remove any debris from it.
Step 3: Clean the grates again.
After you’ve cleaned the grates, then you can repeat the process to make sure that it’s clean.
The second time around, use some soap and water to scrub away any residues that may have remained from your first cleaning. Just be sure to rinse them thoroughly afterward with a paper towel in order to remove any soap residue from your grates as well.
Afterward, allow your grill grates to air dry before you place them back onto your grill.
Step 4: Clean the spaces between your grill grates.
If there is any rust that builds upon the spaces between your grill grates, then you can do one of two things to clean them. Clean them with either a Scotch-Brite® pad or a wire brush.
If you’d rather not use either of those methods, then you can also use aluminum foil to remove rust spots as well by crumbling it into a ball and rubbing it along the surfaces of the rust.
Step 5: Clean the surfaces of your grill.
Once you’ve cleaned your grill, then you can now go ahead and clean the surface as well.
Use a toothbrush to make sure that there are no stains or scratches that have accumulated. Then simply use a cotton swab dipped into aluminum foil to remove any stubborn stains away. If there are still rust stains that refuse to wipe off, then consider using some colored silicone caulking to seal up cracks or crevices where rust may have been forming.
Finally, you should now have a grill that’s ready to be used again.
It’s important to take good care of your grill since it can really extend its lifespan and make it more durable in the long run as well. Taking care of your grill includes cleaning the grates and surfaces often so that you don’t have to replace them anytime soon.
Additional information on how to clean a rusty grill
How to clean rusty cast iron grill grates?
In 4 steps you will be able to clean rusty cast iron grill grates:
- remove the rust. Prepare a mixture of water and vinegar and soak some paper towels in it. Then place the paper towel on the rusty cast iron for 10 minutes.
- Clean it off with a regular cleaning product, then you can use a wire brush to clean it further.
- Spray some oil or vegetable oil on the cast iron grill grates and wipe it down with a towel to prevent rusting from happening again.
- Remove the paper towel and clean the rusty cast iron grill grates with a scouring pad or steel wool to remove the rust.
How to clean rusty grill grates with baking soda and vinegar?
You can also clean rusty grill grates with baking soda and vinegar. Follow these 3 steps:
- Combine baking soda and white vinegar in a spray bottle and shake well. Spray the baking soda mixture all over the rusty grill grates and wipe it off with a rag.
- Scrub the rusty grates with steel wool or a scouring pad to remove the rust stains.
- Rinse the rusty grates with clear water and dry them thoroughly with a paper towel.
How to remove rust from bbq exterior?
There are some easy ways to get rid of rust stains from your bbq exterior. I’ll be sharing 4 methods that you can try.
- Ungrease your grill. If the grease is old and rusted, it will be a real pain to clean off. So making sure that your grill is always properly greased will make things much easier for you.
- Use rust remover on the bbq grills.
There are some rust removers that you can buy which are specially meant for removing rust from bbq grills.
- Use a wire brush on the bbq.
You can use a wire brush on rusty parts of your barbecue grill to remove the rust stains. Use the wire brush gently and make sure not to damage any parts of the grill.
- Clean it with waxing or paper towels and then place it back in place.
How to remove rust from stainless steel grill grates?
There are three simple steps that you can follow to wipe off the rust from stainless steel grill grates:
- First, you should always remove all the rust that’s visible to you at first sight. You can do it by scrubbing the surface of your grill with Scotch-Brite® pads or steel wool.
- Afterward, you should wash off the residue and stickiness left on your grill with a toothbrush and dishwashing liquid.
- Then, to fully remove rust from your stainless steel grill grates, you should use a scouring pad soaked in a stainless cleaner. And then rinse clean with water and dry off quickly with a paper towel.
How to clean rust off of two-sided bbq grills?
- First of all, you should remove any grease that might be present on the rusty parts of your bbq grill. You can do that by spraying the grease off.
- Afterward, wipe down the rusty parts with a steel wool pad and let the grill sit for about an hour or so.
- Then, you should scrub off all the rust entirely with a Scotch-Brite® pad, or use a wire brush to get all of it off.
- You should then dry these parts and then place them back together again on your bbq grill so that you can use it again as usual.
Another post: How to Clean Stainless Steel Properly.
How to clean rust off the weber grill?
The trick to cleaning out the rust from the weber grill is simply to scrub it off with a Scotch-Brite® pad or use a wire brush to get all of it off. If there are any burnt spots or stains on the surface of your weber, you should dip them in a mixture of water and ammonia.
You can then dry these parts and then place them back together again on your bbq grill so that you can use them again as usual.
How to clean rust off of gas grills?
There are a few ways that you can clean rusty gas grills. It’ll take some time, but it’s going to create a lasting impression when you’re finished.
- First, you should always remove any grease that might be present on the rusty parts of your grill. You can do that by spraying the grease off.
- Afterward, wipe down the rusty parts with a steel wool pad and let the grill sit for about an hour or so.
- Then, you should scrub off all the rust entirely with a Scotch-Brite® pad or use a wire brush to get all of it off.
- You should then dry these parts and then place them back together again on your gas grill so that you can use them again as usual.
Conclusion:
There is no difficulty in cleaning grill grates. It is simply a matter of staying on top of your grill cleaning methods. The grill will rust faster if food debris remains on it, so be sure to clean it right away. Even if an accident occurs, you can remove it using a few simple methods.
This concludes this blog post about cleaning a rusty grill. I hope you found some helpful information that will make your life easier!
