clean the grate before the fire
oil up
fire up the HEAT
One last scrub (a raw potato is great for this, cleans well leaves some starch)
bit more HEAT
MEAT!!

the whole point to BBQ is that heat cures all problems.

That's how man became the apex predator , it allowed us to kill animals and cook em
take the leftover we couldn't eat.. and eat a few days longer without getting sick from slight decay

Bring your own grate!

GrillGrate

https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/08/grillgrate-upgrade-for-gas-grills.html

I have but not for years now. Always scraped it off and pre-heated it real well. Got to give the immune system a good workout every now and then.

I spent some time servicing and repairing high end BBQ units for both residential and commercial. Do NOT cook on rusty grills.

Its amazing how much markup there is on such low quality metals.

You could do surgery on a grill if it has been wiped down and then heated to 700F. I am amazed how germophobic everyone here is in a situation that is clearly safe from a food safety / biological / engineering aspect.

It is a little like not wanting to date a girl because you wonder what she did with her previous boyfriend?

Frankly, I would worry more about having to clean my take along grates and store them properly so they don't mess up my vehicle. When I go car camping, I do NOT want to add 5 pounds for something that is already in every half decent campground in CA.

Now go wash your hands! ;)

G