Grilling is a beloved pastime, but the cleanup—especially dealing with stubborn grill gunk—can be a real pain. After trying every cleaning trick in the book, nothing worked as well as the simple method my nana passed down to me.

Grill gunk is the charred mix of burned food, grease, and carbon buildup that coats your grates over time. Not only can it affect the taste of your food, but it can also attract pests and even pose health risks if left unchecked. Over the course of a summer, your grill can accumulate up to a pound of this mess.

Nana’s solution is surprisingly simple: aluminum foil. No scrubbing, no chemicals—just foil and heat. To use her method, preheat your grill to 500°F. Once it’s hot, cover the grates with a sheet of aluminum foil, close the lid, and let it sit for four minutes. Then turn off the grill, carefully remove the foil (a heat-resistant glove helps), and you’ll find the gunk reduced to ash. The foil traps most of the debris, making cleanup a breeze.

All you need is a grill with a lid, some aluminum foil, and optionally, heat-resistant gloves. This hack is fast, chemical-free, and eco-friendly since the foil can be recycled. For best results, make sure the foil completely covers the grates and stick to the four-minute rule. Grillers everywhere, like John from Texas, swear by it—his grill looked brand new after trying it. If you’re tired of scrubbing, give Nana’s trick a shot. It might just change your grilling game forever.