we also grill and after taking the food off I let it cool a bit, and then scrub it using a crushed ball of foil. Every couple of times I will take a towel and some cooking oil and wipe the grill down. My grilll is 4 years old and this seems to work well for me. I would NOT use any type of wire bristle brush -there has been alot in the news lately about sticking bristles getting lodged in food and then people eating them and winding up with a trip to the hospital. Hope this helps you-and happy grilling!!!

I also don't use a wire brush. I spray the rack with oven cleaner, let it sit overnight outside and then wash they next morning.

first you have to scrub it very hard....put some lemon at the end

yup we had to do this too...spray with oven cleaner, put in sealed plastic garbage bag to work, then next day , take it out and wash. (Use gloves)no scrubbing! And you can always buy replacement grill, and start over fresh!

Another suggestion that works for me is to treat your cast iron after cleaning it. I coat my cast iron with cooking grease or oil then heat it to seal the iron. Just rub a thin layer into the iron with a paper towel or clean rag then heat. Done regularly, this helps to create a finish that is less sticky while cooking, easier for cleanup, and helps to prevent future rust problems,. This works well with cast iron pans also. And just about any kind of heat will work. When camping, I just through my pans back on the fire after treating.