One Of The Best Tools To Clean Your Grill Might Already Be In Your Bathroom

Grilling is fun and all, but when it's time for cleanup, the mess is enough to make you rethink all the pork chops or burgers you've just consumed. However, with a handy tool that might already be in your bathroom, you might just be able to clean your grill effortlessly — all it takes is the magic of a pumice stone to get the job done.

The stone's abrasive texture makes it one of the best ways to clean your grill, because it can remove the gunk and make everything look a bit more sparkly. But look — it's not as gross that "bathroom" mention makes it sound. We're not going to ask you to literally use the pumice stone in your bathroom already. Here's a caveat: you'd have to purchase a new one for hygienic purposes, of course. On the plus side, these stones are generally affordable — around $8 or so, and some brands even sell them in bulk for the same price. 

Surprisingly, not all pumice stones are created equally. There's fine pumice, which you can use on your body for exfoliation, whereas medium pumice can be on the more abrasive side, but can still be used on the skin for tougher areas like calluses. For the grill, you'd want to get your hands on coarse pumice, as it's perfect for persistent dirt and grime, and is often used for industrial cleaning. It's best to keep a bowl of water nearby that you can dip the pumice stone into, as it's better if it stays wet throughout the cleaning process. It makes it more effective and ready for use, though it helps if the grill is wet, too. 

But like everything else, pumice stones aren't meant to last forever, especially if you're trying to remove stubborn dirt. If you've noticed that it's gotten smaller than its original size or that it has lost its roughness, it's time to swap it for a new one. That said, you can definitely prolong its lifespan by cleaning it after each use. There are a lot of pros to using pumice stones; you can get rid of your dangerous grill brush and use the stone on its place.

The stone can even serve a purpose indoors as an all-around cleaning tool for your kitchen — just don't use it on surfaces that can't handle its roughness, including marble and granite, and you're all set. (You should also think twice about cleaning your stovetops with this abrasive method.) But fortunately, you don't have to worry about that if you're using the stone for the grill.