Abstract: A wipe pad (10) for cleaning debris from cooking grate (24) while preparing the cooking grate for use in cooking foods, in which the wipe pad has a sheet of an absorbent fire retardant material with a cooking agent (18) received by the sheet. The sheet, being attached to a grill brush (26) by a plurality of bristles (32) extending therefrom and partially penetrating the sheet, clings to the grill brush (26) for wiping contact of the sheet against the grate (24) upon movement of the grill brush to clean cooking debris from the cooking grate while communicating a film of the cooking agent from the sheet to prepare the cooking grate for use. A method of preparing a cooking grate for cooking is disclosed.