Breakdown in Scrubbing Ability with Bristled Brushes 

It can often be overwhelming and difficult to pick the right brush for the right job. Don’t let all the pure water brush options intimidate you, after reading this blog, our hope is that you will have a full understanding as to which brush may be the best fit for your waterfed window cleaning needs. 

Brushes are offered in a variety of sizes including 5-inches for those small french pane cut ups, 10-inch, 12-inch and 14-inch for your standard size windows and 16-inch & 18-inch for your larger panes of glass. To simplify all these options, we will give you the scoop on each brush per manufacturer and their level of scrubbing ability. 

Gardiner All Nylon Brushes 

Gardiner is the top selling waterfed brand in the UK and has made quite a name for themselves here in the states. In hopes to simplify things, we will reveal the scrubbing power of the following brushes from least aggressive, to most aggressive.

  • For Light to Moderate Scrubbing Ability: Any of the Gardiner Brushes identified as “Medium-Soft”or “Medium” are perfect for those jobs that are cleaned on a regular basis and or are light to moderate with the amount of debris on the glass. Any brush labeled as a “Sill” brush is great at cleaning the glass frame/incasement. To make things easier, here’s a list of SKU #’s to all the mentioned brushes that you can find on our website. (GP-BH120, GP-BH100, GP-BH125-P, GP-BH200-P, GP-BH205-P, GP-BH214-PP, GP-BH250-PP, GP-BH218-PP, GP-BH700-P and GP-BH714-PP.) 
  • For Moderate to Heavy Scrubbing Ability: Any of the Gardiner Brushes identified as “Flocked” or “TaperTec” are ideal for those jobs that need that extra scrubbing attention. Any brush that is labeled as an “Xtreme” will be the lightest brush which is ideal for working at heights over 40 feet to reduce the amount of physical stress on your body. Every ounce matters  when working at high heights. SKU #’s for are as follows: (GP-BH110-P, GP-BH210-P, GP-BH220-P, GP-BH414-PP, GP-BH275, GP-BH260-P, GP-BH754-PP, GP-BH815-P, GP-BH850-P, GP-BH814-PP, GP-BH800-P, GP-BH854-PP and GP-BH820-PP.)
  • Stiff Bristled Brushes for Hot Water Systems: Gardiner does offer Stiff Bristled Brushes that are great with those who are running hot water systems. It’s sometimes misunderstood that the stiffer the bristle, the stronger the scrubbing power. However, that’s not the case. Hot water systems will soften the bristle as the hot water courses through the brush giving an exceptional scrub. For those of you operating a hot water system here is a list of the Gardiner Stiff Bristle Brushes: (GP-BH224-PP, GP-BH705-P and GP-BH724-PP.)

Ettore Brushes 

Ettore has been a trusted name in the window cleaning industry for decades. Ettore airs on the side of “let’s keep it simple” by offering a Hybrid Brush which is a mix of Nylon outer bristles with Natural bristles in the center for a dual trim brush that cleans at a fraction of the cost. This popular option is offered in 14-inch and 18-inch and falls under Light to Moderate Scrubbing Ability. SKU’s E-9014 (14-inch) and E-9018 (18-inch).

Tucker 

When it comes to anything waterfed related, few take as much pride as Tucker does with their dedication to getting window cleaners what they need to achieve the best results.

  • For Light to Moderate Scrubbing Ability: the Dual Trim ALL Nylon Brushes are offered with plenty of options. These can be purchased in either 12-inch or 18-inch as well as (1) set of Pencil Jets, (1) set of Fan Jets or dual Pencil or Fan Jets. They also offer what they refer to as “ALPHA” which includes an over-the-top rinse bar for thorough rinsing along with a swivel gooseneck. Link to all the Tucker ALL Nylon NON-ALPHA Brushes and Link to the Tucker ALL Nylon ALPHA Brushes.
  • For Moderate to Heavy Scrubbing Ability: Tucker has a Hybrid Brush that’s a mix of Nylon and Natural Boar’s hair. Similar to the ALL Nylon brushes, this too comes with plenty of choices to pick from. Link to all the Tucker Hybrid NON-ALPHA Brushes and Link to all Tucker Hybrid ALPHA Brushes.
  • For Heavy Scrubbing Ability: the ALL Boars hair is a very popular choice among window cleaners. When it comes to Bristled Brushes, there is no better option as far as scrubbing power goes as the all boars hair versions. Link to the Tucker Hybrid NON-ALPHA Brushes and Link to the Tucker ALL Boars Hair ALPHA Brushes.

Unger Brushes 

Meet the wide variety and capabilities of Unger’s Gen 2 waterfed brushes. These brushes represent German engineering at its finest. The Unger nLITE® line of brushes are designed to allow you to tackle any cleaning challenge with confidence. With the bristles spread out, water can freely flow along the glass surface. They scrub away the dirt so that the Pure Water can rinse it away—without chemicals!

  • For Light Scrubbing Ability: the Unger nLITE® Soft Brush Complete is for delicate surfaces. This brush is especially suitable for use on coated, painted, or plastic surfaces. The bristles are particularly gentle and reduce the risk of damaging delicate surfaces when cleaning glass and windows. We recommend using plenty of water during use and testing the surface in an inconspicuous spot before use. This product comes as a complete unit which includes brush, flushing rinse bar, integrated nozzle block, hose with connectors, and swivel lock single-click connection. It’s ready to attach to the Unger Generation 2 nLITE® waterpoles. This Brush is available in 11 and 16-Inch blocks.
  • For Light to Moderate Scrubbing Ability: the Unger nLITE® Powerbrush Flagged/Complete with flagged bristles is a fully optimized brush to prepare you for nearly any cleaning challenge. The flagged bristles are softer for gentle cleaning, giving you a better glide on the glass. This brush is recommended for cleaning smaller particles and debris. The features don’t stop there. The jets are integrated into the block for a more powerful clean and when purchased as a “Complete”, this version comes with an over-the-top rinse bar giving you more rinsing ability. The new single-click connection system means no worrying about the brush spinning or falling off and it can be purchased with a swivel socket for 180 degrees of cleaning, or with a fixed socket. This Brush is available in 11 and 16-Inch blocks.
  • For Moderate to Heavy Scrubbing Ability: the Unger nLITE® Powerbrush with Unflagged. The unflagged bristles are straighter and stiffer, meant for more aggressive cleaning but still safe on glass. This brush is recommended for cleaning heavier debris. The jets are integrated into the block for a more powerful clean and when purchased as a “Complete”, this version comes with an over-the-top rinse bar giving you more rinsing ability. The new single-click connection system means no worrying about the brush spinning or falling off and it can be purchased with a swivel socket for 180 degrees of cleaning, or with a fixed socket. This Brush is available in 11 and 16-Inch blocks.
  • For Heavy Scrubbing Ability: the Unger nLITE® Hybrid Brush Complete is for heavily soiled windows. Solar panels and window fronts in particular are exposed to weather on a daily basis, which can cause stubborn dirt deposits to form. To remove these impurities thoroughly and effectively, Unger has developed the hybrid brush. Stubborn dirt has no chance against the combination of wild boar and synthetic bristles, supported by Power Bristle technology. This product comes as a complete unit which includes brush, flushing rinse bar, integrated nozzle block, hose with connectors, and swivel lock single-click connection. It’s ready to attach to the Unger Generation 2 nLITE® waterpoles. Use caution and proper brush maintenance when cleaning solar panels. All the Unger Gen 2 Brushes are compatible with Unger Gen 2 Waterpoles. Slight modifications can be made to some of the Gen 2 brushes to be used with the Unger Gen 1 Waterpoles. Link to all the Unger Gen2 Brushes.

Now that you hopefully have a better idea of the different levels of scrubbing ability with the wide variety of waterfed brushes available from the top manufacturers, you can make an educated decision as to which brush would be best for your cleaning needs. Please do not hesitate to call 1-800-535-6394 and speak with any one of our knowledgeable team members to bring you more clarity about any of our products. We also feature great product descriptions with all our items if you prefer to shop on our website.