More Than 10 Million Metal Wire Bristle Grill Brushes Have Been Recalled

Spring cleaning, for many, includes getting the grill ready for summer cookouts. But before you give your grates a good season-launching scrubbing, you should check your stash of grilling tools.

More than 10 million metal wire bristle grill brushes sold at Home Depot over the past 11 years have been recalled for a scary reason: “Small metal wire bristles can detach from the brushes and stick to the grill or food, posing an ingestion hazard and risk of serious internal injuries that could require surgery,” the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns in a recall notice dated Thursday, March 26.

Which grill brushes have been recalled?

About 10.2 million Nexgrill metal wire bristle grill brushes are subject to this voluntary recall. Included are six different models, each measuring 18 to 21 inches in length and featuring handles made of either black plastic or wood. The brand name “Nexgrill" can be found on each grill brush model. Model numbers appear only on the packaging; you can find photos of all the brush models subject to recall here.

The recalled model numbers are 530-0024 (19-Inch Grill Brush, distributed 2015-2026); 530-0024G (Grill Cleaning Brush with Scraper, distributed 2022-2026); 530-0034 (Long Handle Grill Brush, distributed 2015-2026); 530-0039 (Grill Brush and Scraper, distributed 2015-2026); 530-0041 (Grill Brush with Scrub Pad, distributed 2015-2026); 530-0042 (Wood Handle Grill Brush, distributed 2015-2021).

Where were the grill brushes sold?

The recalled grill brushes were manufactured in China; imported by Nexgrill Industries, Inc. of Chino, California and were sold at Home Depot in stores and online.

The brushes were available starting in 2015 through this year and were priced between $5 and $15 (give or take).

Have any incidents or injuries been reported in connection with the recalled brushes?

Unfortunately, yes. Nexgrill says it has received “at least 68 reports and reviews where small wire bristles detached from the grill brushes, including five reports of consumers who swallowed metal bristles and sought medical treatment to remove the bristles from their digestive tract or throat.”

(To learn more about the dangers of wire grill brushes and the best alternatives, get the lowdown from experts here.)

What should you do if you have one of the recalled metal wire bristle grill brushes?

If you have one of the recalled grill brushes, you are directed to stop using it immediately. You can get a full refund ($5 to $15, depending on the model you have) in the form of a gift card by contacting Nexgrill and making a “successful claim.”

“Consumers will be provided with a registration code as part of the recall process and will be directed to upload a photograph of their grill brush with that code and their initials to the recall website to register for the recall,” the CPSC notes. “After receiving a confirmation email that their registration has been successfully processed, consumers will then receive directions on how to discard the recalled grill brush.”

More information can be found online here. You can also reach Nexgrill by phone toll-free at 800-942-1498 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Are wire bristle grill brushes a hazard?

This isn’t the first recall of its kind — it follows another recall of metal wire bristle grill brushes issued by Weber in late February. That recall, which cited the same ingestion hazard, pertained to six different Weber grill brush model numbers, affecting about 3.2 million brushes overall.

The recalled Weber metal wire bristle grill brushes were sold at Lowe’s, Home Depot, Ace Hardware and Target, both in stores and online, and on Amazon and Weber.com between 2011 and 2026. They were priced from $10 to $17 and were also available on eBay and other resale sites.

Details of that recall — including photos and model numbers of the recalled grill brushes — can be found here.