A Grill Zone Needs A Small Broom

Outdoor cooking works better when cleanup is part of the station, not a separate errand. A small broom or bench brush near the grill handles the annoying bits: onion skins, charcoal dust, stray herbs, ash around the side burner, and the crumbs that otherwise become a bird meeting.

The useful version is boring. Pick a cheap brush that can live outside, hang it on the same hook as the scraper or lighter, and let it be slightly ugly. If it has to go back to the garage, it will not get used while the food is still hot and everyone is moving plates around.

The payoff is less about cleanliness than friction. A thirty-second sweep after cooking keeps the patio from turning into a maintenance project by Saturday morning. Like most good home systems, it should be visible, reachable, and too simple to negotiate with.