The Hidden Dangers of Wire-Bristle Brushes
Image via iStockphoto/SutidaS
Wire-bristle grill brushes are pretty effective at scraping away grease and grime. The only problem is that those tiny metal bristles can easily break off during cleaning, and they often end up hidden in your food. These bristles can be as sharp as a needle, and swallowing one can cause severe damage to your mouth, throat, or even your digestive system. A man in Pennsylvania, Peter Richards, learned the hard way just how dangerous this can be.
After enjoying a perfectly grilled chicken dinner, he began to feel a sharp pain in his throat. A visit to the ER and some X-rays showed that he had swallowed a wire bristle. Fortunately, Richards made a full recovery, but not before three surgeries and several days of pain. It wasn’t an easy ride, and he’s not the only one.
A study led by Dr. Chang at the University of Missouri School of Medicine showed that between 2002 and 2014, approximately 1,700 people visited the ER after swallowing a wire bristle from a grill brush. One Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency doctor, said she’s treated several kids who ended up in the ER after ingesting wire bristles from their grilled food.
In one case, a 4-year-old boy went to the ER complaining of excruciating ear pain. Doctors initially thought it might be an infection, but after some scans, they discovered a wire bristle lodged in the boy’s tonsils. It had been in the burger he ate earlier in the day. The boy needed surgery and eventually made a full recovery.
It’s the same for Dr. Tonia Farmer, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, who has also removed wire bristles from patients’ throats and tonsils. The problem is that these wire bristles are thin and easy to miss. They can get stuck in your food, and unless you’re paying attention, you may not notice.
Why Are These Brushes Still on the Market?
The reason why wire-bristle brushes are still so popular is that they’re cheap, effective, and easy to use. But even though they do the job, they come with serious risks. And no one is really regulating their safety. There are no federal laws specifically governing the manufacturing of grill brushes. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has suggested voluntary guidelines, but those guidelines are still being reviewed.
Luckily, there are plenty of safer alternatives out there that can get your grill grates clean without the risk of ingesting a metal bristle. Some options include wooden or bamboo grill brushes, nylon-bristle brushes, pumice stones, balls of aluminum foil, and steam cleaners.