The 75-Cent Cleaner My Dad Used To Clean His Grill Every Summer

There’s nothing like the grill in the summer. Whether you’re grilling a nice juicy steak, flipping burgers for the family, charring up some hot dogs or grilling veggies to round out your meal—grilling adds an inimitable flavor to any dish. 

But with the highs of grilling come the lows— the cleanup. Unlike cooking in the oven or on the stove, you can’t clean up a grill by popping it into a dishwasher or giving it a quick scrub with soap and water. How many times have you thought about grilling, but gave up because it’s just too much fuss? This trick may change your mind. 

This father-approved cleaning hack is super simple, super cheap and also comes with an extra treat for your grilled goodies. You can pick it up when you shop for your meats or veggies, and compost or toss it when you’re done. Talk about simple! 

Dad Hack: Use Lemon Halves To Clean Your Grill Grates 

Say you’re grilling up some barbecue chicken wings. The sugars from the sauce bake onto the grill grates as your wings cook, and you end up with a sticky crust on your grill grates—don’t fret. 

My dad has a simple solution: As his grill starts to cool, he cuts a lemon in half. He doesn’t want the grill to be totally cold, but he waits a few minutes so the grates aren’t roaring hot. Then, he uses tongs to rub the lemon up and down the grill grates and watches the shine come back to life. 

If you have a particularly messy situation, add some salt to the cut side of your lemon to add an abrasive agent to help clear some of the stuck-on bits of meat. The other half of the lemon can be squeezed on top of whatever you’re cooking for a bright, citrus punch.  

If you haven’t heard, now is the time to replace your old wire-bristle grill brush. While they are effective, they are also dangerous. Little pieces of wire can come loose and end up in your next burger. Accidentally swallowing metal can be life threatening. 

Consumer Reports reported that “an estimated 1,700 Americans went to an emergency room between 2002 and 2014 after having ingested wire bristles in grilled food.” Replacing your wire-bristle grill brush with this lemon hack, or any food-safe alternative, is an easy way to prevent a visit to the hospital. 

Why Lemons Make Such Great Cleaners 

It’s no secret that lemons can be used for a variety of cleaning projects. Even commercial products use lemon scents because we associate the smell of citrus with a clean home. 

According to an article from BBC’s Science Focus, lemon juice’s citric acid has historically been used to dissolve limescale, and bring back shine to copper pots and pans. The oils from lemon peels were used to polish wood. 

While we may not reach for the fruit to clean our whole homes anymore, its acidic properties still fight through grease and debris. This cheap cleaning hack is an easy way to clean up and (add some zest) to your next BBQ.