Monmouth County's Ask the Doctor July-August 2021

H E A L T H Y H O M E

Onions Make Great Grill Cleaners

Looking for a cheap and easy way to clean your grill? Look- ing for a non -chemical approach? BBQ time is just around the corner so follow this simple tip. Apparently, onions have antibacterial properties that can help with cleaning, especially with a messy outdoor grill. Preheat your grill and cut an onion in half. Take your grill- ing fork and spear that onion on the skin side and rub the cut side of the onion on your grill. That’s it! According to the National Onion Association, onions con- tain phytochemicals, which are various biologically active compounds that can be found in plants. The health-function- al properties in these compounds actually include anticancer and antimicrobial activities. The way it works is that the An antimicrobial is an agent that can kill off microorganisms and stop growth, fighting bacteria and fungi. If the dirt on the grill is too powerful to your onion, you can actually loosen it up with other natural ingredients. Try spray- ing lemon juice or white vinegar across the grates to dampen and separate the grease off the grill. The acidity can actually help with the cleaning process and will make cleaning the grill with that onion even easier than it was before.

www.GuntherPublications.com

Publishing Enterprises, Inc. GUNTHER

25