Your guide to cleaning brushes
There’s a lot more to the humble brush than you might imagine. Buying the right product for the right purpose can save time, money and ensure that you meet health and hygiene standards. Here’s a quick guide to key things to consider.
What brushes do you need to carry out essential tasks in your business? What are the key features to consider? And what new design features can improve efficiency and effectiveness? These are usefu things to consider when purchasing cleaning products.
Types of brushes most businesses need:
Floor and Wall Brush
For use on non-carpet floors and walls to remove grease and grime before mopping
Grout Brush
For use on tile floors to clear heavy dirt and grime from between tiles
Push Broom
For clearing floors of dirt and dust before scrubbing and mopping
Toilet Brush
Placed in restrooms next to the toilet to promote frequent and thorough cleaning and sanitation
Hand and Nail Brush
Placed next to a stainless steel sink to promote proper hygiene when washing hands
Key elements to consider:
The handle
Is the brush handle the right shape, material, strength and durability to suit the purpose? Brushes are made from a range of materials, including wood, synthetic and plastic, metal and fibre glass. Synthetic materials are widely used as they can be produced in a variety of tensile strengths and shapes. Plastic brush handles are light, chemical resistant and long lasting. Wooden brushes are a sustainable choice and are also the most commonly used material for brushes. We do sell handles separately to be matched with the appropriate broom head.
The bristles
Your choice here will depend on the chemicals being used with the brush, heat, hardness and flexibility required, and the durability you need for the brush to last long enough to be an economical and sustainable choice. Here’s a guide to the key types of bristles and the tasks they are best suited to.
Synthetic Bristles
Floors, scrubbing brushes, & toilet. Easy to clean & Heat-resistant. Common types include High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) which has high tensile strength and is extremely heat resistant. Nylon is highly resistant to most solvents and is abrasion resistant and long-lasting.
There are many other types, checking key qualities such as chemical and heat resistance and anti-static qualities as well as ease of cleaning are the key things to consider when choosing the right brush.
Vegetable Fibre Bristles
Hard so good for heavy duty scrubbing or floors or other surfaces
Animal Hair Bristles
Softer, so good for floors, dusting or surfaces which require more gentle cleaning.
Wire metal Bristles
Very hard, often good as grout cleaners or for heavy-duty scrubbing.
If you’d like to look at what kinds of brushes are available, you can see a wide range here: https://www.cornishindustrial.co.uk/brushes-dustpans-floor-cleaning
Legal standards & food production
In any business you must ensure you provide safe and clean premises for staff. In food production, hygiene standards are particularly important and it’s wise to use brushes which are colour coded according to area to avoid cross-contamination.
The Vikan range has some innovative brushes designed to prevent dust being generated, available in up to 10 colours, or if you need stiff or scrubbing brushes please ask.
You might also wish to try the Vikan Ultra Safe Technology range for the ultimate in contamination prevention. All UST brooms and brushes feature a unique bristle system that minimises the risk of contamination and bristle loss.
If you would like more information and advice about hygiene and cleaning standards in areas where food is handled and produced, you can find more guidance from the Food Standards Agency here: https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/cleaning
Spend money to save money
A good quality brush will not only be more effective in cleaning, it will last longer. For example, The insertion process for placing bristles is critical to the performance and longevity of the brush. Also important is the design and selection of the right brush for the right task.
Our team have an excellent knowledge of a wide range of products available for different purposes and can help you to find the best solution for your needs. Contact us at sales@cisafety.com or call 01726 74264
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