Casey, jennyemma, I happen agree with both of you. I have always cleaned my grills with a wire brush. My son and I spent several hours sitting in the ER to have a wire removed from his throat.
My caution is to be sure to use a copper brush and use a new one every year.
I still do as does the son who had the wire in his throat.
I clean my grill directly after using it while it is still hot. In recent years I've only had/used cast iron grills. IMO much better than SS.
I'm sure it does happen, but I think it is pretty rare, and if you realize that it CAN happen, you can take steps to make sure it doesn't happen to you.
My grill brush is stainless steel, and the wires aren't just stuck into some wood. It would be really unlikely to shed any bristles. But, wiping down the grate with an oiled paper towel after brushing is another step that cleans and lubes the grates, which should also catch any bristles.
I use something similar to a Scotchbrite pad on my Blackstone griddle. I would be hesitant to use a wire brush on that, for multiple reasons, including safety. That a big, flat surface, so a bristle would not fall between grates. People use the same thing to clean grills, but the pads get ruined pretty quickly on grill grates.
BTW, as far as gas grill safety goes, if you store your grill indoors, like in the garage, leave the propane bottle outside. I've had a few of them leak over the years, and a garage full of propane is a ticking bomb. There is a good reason stores that do propane bottle exchanges have the bottles stored in cages outside, and won't let you bring your exchange bottle inside the store. Oh, and when you take your bottle for an exchange, take the old one straight to the store, and bring the new one straight home. Don't leave it in your car all day while you run errands.
CD