My best friend in Hawaii is cooking Christmas dinner for more than two-dozen guests. Fortunately, she’s getting help with the entrees from her husband who will be grilling a variety of different meats to feed the holiday crowd. However, since one grill is not enough to cook up all the menu items, she had to borrow another grill from her cousin. Unfortunately, that grill is caked with rust.
After hearing about her pathetic tale I emailed her a list of solutions to her rust problems, including:
Wire brush: A heavy-duty wire brush is the best tool to remove rust from a grill grate. Depending on the severity of the rust, the brush may eliminate all of the build-up and you won’t have to do much more in the way of cleaning. However, if the rust is really thick, then you may have to spray the grill grate with a commercial rust remover and scrub it with steel wool before using the wire brush. If your grate is made of cast iron, then you will need to season it by rubbing it with a small amount of oil once you have removed all of the rust.
Vinegar: For stubborn rust build-up, consider making a paste from vinegar, baking soda and water. Apply the mixture to the rusty areas and let sit for about an hour. Then, use a damp cloth to wipe the affected areas. The paste should loosen the rust enough to allow you to scrub or scrape it away.
Cleaning Products: If the rust is covering the body of the grill, then you are better off opting for a commercial cleaner designed specifically for grills. Goo Gone Grill Cleaner is an excellent product, which works well on grills made from stainless steel. Simply apply the cleaner and wipe off with a clean, soft cloth. Do not attempt to wipe off the cleaner with an abrasive tool as you don’t want to scratch the surface of the grill.