LAKEWOOD, Wash. — When Tammy Johnson and her husband decided to have a barbeque with their grandchild, she never realized it would change her life. A day later, she told Q13FOX News, “I just had pain. You just wouldn’t think you would have eaten something that would cause this.”
When she was rushed to the hospital, she quickly found out it wasn’t the grilled chicken causing her severe abdominal pain. It was a tiny wire from a brush used to clean the grill.
That wire punctured her intestine. Doctors performed emergency surgery, but then a bad infection developed, and her intestines shut down. Tammy nearly died.
“It’s been very scary,” said Johnson. “Something like this happens and you think I just want to see tomorrow.”
She is still in quarantine, at St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, and on a feeding tube, 10 days after she accidentally swallowed the bristle.
She said she was shocked to find out many other people around the country have suffered internal injuries from accidentally eating wire bristles.
A teenager in Edmonds suffered the same injury last year. To see that story from 2013, click here.
The CDC issued a warning about grill brushes two years ago.
Now Johnson has a warning for everyone as we go into the Father’s Day weekend when so many will be sparking up that grill.
“There’s other ways to clean them. It’s just not worth that chance.”
Dave
Its a wonder she didnt die from being at St
Clare hospital. That is the worst hospital in Washimgton.
Ted
Enumclaw Hosp,…where you go in, but you don’t come out.
The World is Ending
This is why a brush has never touched my grill, I did at one time and after I was finished cleaning I would closely inspect my grates bough visually and by hand but very time consuming so I quit using a brush, because it is time consuming they come apart and they do a poor job. When cleaning your grill grates use a girl stone and or hot soap and water, you can also put them in the oven on the cleaning cycle, but if all else fails after hand washing them the best you can run them through the dish washer on the pots and cycle (yes I know it is kinda uncouth to do to grill grates but it works well) it may take 2 cycles but my grates look almost new.
Sammy
I run mine thru the dishwasher…. works great and they don't sit on the grill rusting up, I only take them out of the kitchen when I need them. I also wash the flame deflectors in the dish washer. If there is stuck on junk I use a green scrubby to clean em off.
teachyourkids right
Wow I never would have imagined thank you for the warning!
I Hope you recover fast!
boxcar
You can buy a grill stone that is mounted on a handle, or save yourself some money and use a rolled up/crumpled up piece of aluminum foil held by tongs. Works as good as any wired grill brush.
Sammy
I have used the tinfoil ball cleaner thingy a lot on Park grills.
doddwaters
I have always used a cloth or several folded piece of paper towel to wipe down the grill after brushing with anything. I mean I can see the residue from the brushing so why would I knot wipe it off?
Countryjoe
That wire was more than an inch long! How on earth do you (1) miss that when cleaning the grill, and (2) eat and swallow something like that? Does she not chew her food?
barry
First off…the brush she was using looked like the kind a painter would use on the outside of a building. A true grill brush will be brass or stainless steel with short wire bristles about 1/2 to 3/4 long. DO NOT BUY A WOOD BRUSH.
Sammy
Use the dishwasher. clean them after you cook and it will be ready the next time.
Larry Dunn
Excellent! I admire all the helpful data you’ve shared in your articles. I’m looking forward for more helpful articles from you. :)