Scrape, oil, and don't leave ash sitting overnight.

Yes. Clean the grill right when it’s still warm (but not blazing hot) and oil the grates before you call it done.

Rust happens when moisture sits on bare metal. Ash is hygroscopic—it pulls water out of the air and holds it against the steel. So step one: scrape the grates clean with a wire brush while the grill is warm. Then empty the ash pan or scoop out the ash from the bottom. Don’t leave a pile of ash in there for days.

Next, wipe the grates with a paper towel dipped in high-smoke-point oil (canola, vegetable, grapeseed—not olive oil for storage). That thin oil film is your rust barrier. If you’re storing the grill outside, throw a cover on it after everything is cool and dry. If it’s under a covered porch, you can skip the cover but still oil the grates.

One more thing: if you use a wire brush and it’s shedding bristles, switch to a grill stone or a brass brush. Swallowing steel bristles is not worth it.

Future you will thank you when you fire it up next spring and there’s no orange flaking.