It is not easy to clean a rusty grill but we are here for you. You will understand why people always lean on making sure that the grills are never rusty or go to the extent of buying only stainless steel appliances for this purpose. A rusty grill is common occurrence though. Many people face this problem. You are not alone in this. While some cases might be hopeless, that does not mean that the others can't be salvaged. Take a look at the article to know more.
Materials You Are Going To Need
The best way to clean a rusty grill is to use salt and vinegar. This might sound like nonsense to you but trust us. It actually works like magic and you can salvage your grill easily with the help of the solution. Make sure that you are having all the important materials at hand before you start the cleaning process. You are going to need -
- 1 cup of regular table salt.
- 2 cups of white vinegar.
- 1 heavy-duty garbage bag.
- Disposable cloths or rags.
This is ideal for one grill grate. If you are going to clean the rust off more than one grate then we recommend that you add in more materials according to the measurement. For example, if you are cleaning 3 grill grates then you are going to need 3 cup of table salt instead of 1. This is going to apply to all the ingredients.
The Entire Process
Here is what you need to do in order to clean the rust off the grill. Be sure to understand that it is only for the mildly rusted grill grates and not for the ones with sever rust damage. It is not magic. It can't just restore anything to the original state.
One Cup Of Salt With Two Cups Of Vinegar
You need to add the salt to the vinegar. The salt is going to increase the natural acidity of the vinegar. You can depend on the vinegar to eat away the rust but they are not going to cause any harm to the metal around and under it. The salt is an abrasive that can be useful when you are scrubbing the grill grates. They both play very important parts in this process. We recommend using good quality products so that you can get good results.
Place Grates In A Garbage Bag
Then you have to take the garbage bag and place the grill grate in it. This is going to be the place where you soak the grill grates in the solution which we just made overnight. The wonderful transformation is going to take place in this bag. We recommend that you find a sturdy garbage bag and if you can't find one then you can use two layered garbage bags to prevent the solution from leaking out and getting over everything but the grates.
Add Mixture To Bag
Then you need to pour the mixture of salt and vinegar into the bag. You need to move it around a little bit so that all the corners are covered properly with the mixture. This is going to ensure that all the parts of the grill grates are covered with the solution and the job is going to be well done. No spot on the grill is going to be left.
Allow To Soak Overnight
You have to allow the bag to soak overnight. Some people even leave it for 2 days to soak. We do not recommend going too long but you can soak it for two nights. This is going to cause all the rust on the grill grates to fall off. Most of the users have guaranteed good results out of the way.
Remove The Rust
You should take the grill grates out of the bag. You will find that most of the rust has been loosened by the solution but there are still going to be some spots left. Take the rag and get to work. You need to scrub as well as you can without causing any damage to the grill grates. This is going to allow all the rust to come out of the grill grates.
This is the end of the method. However, if you think that your grill grate needs to go through the process once more then you can repeat the process. We are sure that you will be able to get rid of all the rust after a few repetitions of the process.
Other Methods Of Cleaning Rust Off Grills
Yes, there are other methods of cleaning the rust off the grill grates too. We know that the salt and vinegar method is the most useful out of them all but there are certain situations where you are bound to use the other methods. It is important to note all the different ways in which you can achieve the goal. Therefore, we have included some methods of cleaning the rust off the grill.
Soap and Water
You can use soap and water if your grill only has a few spots of rust. This does not need you to soak the entire grill grate in a solution of vinegar and salt. You should be cleaning the spots with a brush made out of stiff nylon. Do not go and use any metal or wire brush because that is only going to harm your grill and cause damage to the surface.
The nylon is going to be hard enough to get rid of the rust but it is also going to be gentle on the grill. This method is perfect for people who want to get this out of the way and start grilling as soon as possible.
Lemon Juice and Powdered Detergent
Lemon juice and powdered detergent is kind of similar to the solution of vinegar and salts but they are not that strong. It also creates an acidic solution that is going to dissolve the rust on the grill. It works well on small patches of rust. The lemon juice can leave a sticky residue which is avoided by a lot of people but this is also a solution to the problem. If you do not have access to vinegar then you can use it. There is no harm done to the grill with this solution.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
If you want to get the spots of rust out off the hard to reach spaces then you can make a paste instead of a solution. This is done by mixing baking soda to vinegar in the ratio of 1:2. This will help you get a thick white paste. You can apply it quickly to the spot and allow it to do some magic. The best thing about this paste is that the vinegar is going to eat away the rust and the baking soda is going to foam and reach the gaps.
Safe Rust Removers
There are many rust removers in the market. They are generally chemical solutions that claim to remove the rust off your precious grill. While they might be able to get the rust off the grill, it is not going to allow you to have a safe cooking session later because they use toxic substances and chemicals for the process that can leave residue behind. Therefore, if you are using any cleaning products from the market to get rid of the rust then you need to make sure that they are safe to use. Remember, you are cooking food on the grills so you definitely do not want any toxic chemicals near it.
Measures To Prevent Rusting
There are several ways to prevent rusting from happening in the first place. If you have had to clean rust off a grill before then you know that it can be a hazard and a real pajn. You would not want to do that again. So, what are the things that can be done to prevent rust from appearing on the grill in the first place? Well no need to worry because we have got you covered. Take a look at the article here to know what you need to do.
Clean After Each Use
You need to clean the grill after each use. We know that it is a pain to clean the grill after you have had a good meal and now you just want to lay down. However, if you want to protect your grill from the rust then it is better to get the cleaning done after each use. We are very aware of the complaints that you are making right about now but there is nothing that can be done about it. Give it a good scrub down. If you have a stainless steel grill then do not use metal grill brush to clean the grill. They can do more harm than good.
Buy Ceramic
The ceramic coated grill grates are excellent at preventing any rust from forming on the grills. The covering prevents the metal from coming in contact with any kind of moisture. You might want to invest in such a grill if you want to prevent rust.
Oil Cast Iron Grill Grates
Your cast iron grill also needs a good oiling just like all kinds of cast iron utensils. This can make the grill better at cooking and they will also prevent rust from forming on the grill. This is an ideal method that is used by a lot of people unknowingly too. If you have not been doing it then its high time that you start doing this as soon as possible. Cast iron is always going to need maintenance.
Weatherproof Cover
Consider investing in a weather proof cover. You should always cover your grill when you are not using it to make sure that the water and moisture from the air is not getting into the grill and causing rust on the surface. Many people also leave the grills outdoors without even a shed on it. This is not going to be useful for your grill. You need to invest in a good cover to make sure that you can use your grill for a long time.
Conclusion
Thank you so much for giving this article here a read. Well, we gave you all the information that we had about the cleaning up of a rusty grill and the different methods of preventing the rust from appearing on your grill the next time. Hopefully this article can reach many people so they are enlightened by the power of knowledge. You can choose any of the methods that we have mentioned in this article to ensure that you get rid of all the rust from the surface of the grill grates. You can choose the other ones too depending on the rust you are facing. Thank you so much for your attention and sticking to the very end. Take care of yourself and happy grilling!
