For many people the idea of a perfect day involves sunny skies, getting together with friends or family, and, of course, the outdoor grill, be it in the backyard or in the parking lot at the football game. The drifting scent of the cooking hamburgers or hot dogs, maybe even steak or corn on the cob, makes for a delightful time exceeded, no doubt, only by the pleasure of serving up, and devouring, the tastyyummy treats from the grill. Somehow the cuisine just tastes better than food from the kitchen stove.

At the end of the day, though, when the fun times are over, at some point the cooking surface is going to need some attention. Before putting any food on for the next cookout, we are going to want to do some cleanup of the grates which will inevitably retain some grease and gunk from the previoous use. The cleanup can be done in several ways, but the most common and most convenient way to deal with this little problem is to use a grill brush.

Since the most truly effective way to apply a grill brush is to use it to scour the surface ridges while it is hot, this will nearly always be taken care of either right after cooking or just before starting the new cookout. Doing it before turning off the fire or extinguishing the charcoal after cooking is the preferred way to go, because leaving the residue on the grid while the it is not in use will invite insects to invade which is probably not the most appealing vision for the next occasion. Nevertheless, most outdoor chefs will be enjoying the party too much right after cooking to want to start scrubbing, so usually the cleaning is delayed until starting up the next cookout.

To get the clean barbecue that we desire before putting your food on, it is necessary to light the fire, be it charcoal or gas, well in advance of beginning the cooking. When the surface is really hot a brief spirited scrubbing with a good brush should get the desired result. An example of a premium brass brush can be found at http://www.amazon.com/Grill-Brush-Features-Look-For/dp/B00CF7RFRW/ie=UTF8?m=A1OCLV04QQKZHG&keywords=grill+mitt. For especially persistent gunk it may be necessary to dunk the brush in water before doing the cleaning. This will produce steam which should eliminate any remaining charred leftover food or greasy residue.

Since some brushes have been known to lose bristles, sometimes resulting in a trip to the emergency room, it is always a good idea to wipe down the surface with a cloth or paper towel after using the brush. Because the grill is hot at this point, the wiping should be done using tongs to hold the cloth or paper towel. Another method to be sure of a very clean surface is to wrinkle up a piece of aluminum foil and to run this over the grate using tongs. For those who are especially diligent and do the cleaning while the grill is still hot after cooking, it is a good idea to wipe off the grill with a folded cloth dipped in vegetable oil.

Choosing the best grill brush for the job involves consideration of many different styles and sizes of brush and materials which might be the subject of a future article. For the professional chef there are mechanical powered brushes which produce their own steam, but this is going a bit overboard for the usual backyard or parking lot griller.