If we’ve all learned something during the world’s COVID-19 crisis, it’s the importance of health. And cleanliness. And hygiene. And detail. So it may just be the perfect time to talk about bottle brushes.
We all know what they are – a normally cylinder-shaped brush mounted on a slim shaft so that the inside of bottles, which are so difficult to thoroughly clean because of the narrow opening, can live up to the cleanliness of the outside.
There are several bottle brush-related patents that have been filed, but one such patent’s description – this one from the 50s although they date back further than that – freely acknowledges their ubiquitous nature. “Many brushes for cleaning bottles of this character have been devised in the past,” it reads.
Why?
* Filling, shaking and draining a bottle is ineffective for thorough disinfection, especially if bacteria is a particular concern.
* Even if you can get a sponge in the narrow opening, it’s unlikely it will reach every nook and cranny.
Pretty much every mother in the developed world is right on board with the bottle brush phenomenon, because of just how many little nooks and crannies and skerricks and residue reside on the inside of those baby bottles – and how important it is to keep our most vulnerable little humans safe.
But an argument could certainly be made that, for many of the industries and business settings around the world, diligent and effective bottle brush use is no less important. Think of those commercial kitchens, as one key advantage, but there are other commercial and industrial settings that use them every day as well. Those in charge of machinery and plant cleaning may well have a bottle brush or two in their armoury, as would the meticulous vehicle detailer.
Do you suspect there might not be a bottle brush variety out there for your specific business operation? Think again, because the list of varying bottle brush features is a lot longer and thinner than that handy bottle brush stem!
- Coated stem?
Need a bottle brush that takes extra care of the bottle opening? Plenty of bottles or other vessels feature delicate throats, but luckily there are varieties with special stem coatings. These brushes for delicate tasks can also be angled, tipped with soft ends, and other features for a gently-gently approach.
- Plumber?
You might not associate bottle brushes with plumbing, but one of the most effective ways to easily scour away gunk, debris and hair from a shallow pipe or drain opening is with certain bottle brush varieties. One of them is a hair catcher bottle brush, with robust nylon bristles and a particularly rigid handle and even a loop for easier extraction.
- Cleaning a straw?
It’s no exaggeration to say bottle brushes come in more varieties than the numbers of the alphabet – and more. Some must handle large vessels, but some are slender enough to even thoroughly clean the inside of a straw, or other particularly fine tubes or hoses. They’ll typically be completed with very soft but effective brustles, such as goat hair, and the conical shape makes it easy to get in but very effective when positioned correctly.
- Sponge combo?
What’s stopping you combining the cleaning power of a brush and a sponge? Answer: nothing, especially if you shop for a bottle brush that substitutes sponge-like bristles for the usual configuration. They’re great if other brushes are posing an ongoing scratching concern – even ones designed to be particularly gentle like those featuring silicone.
Choose your business bottle brushes wisely
It’s crucial to understand, however, that because there’s no stopping manufacturers from constantly tweaking, innovating and adapting – or even making custom bottle brushes for new, unforseen and wonderful reasons – there is literally no end to what the humble bottle brush can achieve. If it’s something your business or application can’t do without for smooth, safe and thorough operations, talk to an industry expert for guidance about the perfect product for you.
