Rather than buying, borrowing, or dragging out a pressure washer the next time you need to clean your siding or remove stubborn gunk from your truck, why not try a simple brush broom with a water-channeling handle like this Libman “Flow Thru” model.
The handle on this brush combo measures 3-1/2 feet long when retracted, and it connects to a standard hose fitting for water flow. You can extend the handle up to 6 feet by loosening the ring near the business end. When you need to apply water to loosen up some gunk, just flip the on/off valve at the top of the handle.
Advertisement
The resin-head vehicle brush has a 9″ block and 10″ x 3″ scrubbing surface, and is populated with 94 tufts of 3″ polymer fibers that should be soft enough to use on your car or truck without scratching the finish. They also sell an all-surface brush head which can be used as a vehicle brush too.
While this particular brush and handle come bundled together, you can buy also buy the flow though handles separately. The Libman Flow Thru handle uses standard broom threads (3/4″, 5TPI). You can pair it with any brush or broom that has threads all the way through the head for the water to flow through.
If you live in the Midwest, Menards stocks both Libman brushes and flow thru handles in stores for $13 a piece, otherwise, you can purchase the Libman brush combo for $24 through the Home Depot website. You can also purchase just the handle through Walmart’s website for $18.
Buy Now (Brush and handle via Home Depot)
Buy Now (Handle only via Walmart)
According to some online product descriptions, the brush and handle are made in the USA, but the ones we’ve seen at Menards were marked as being made in China.
My Experience with this Tool
I first purchased the Libman all-surface brush and flow thru handle to wash my fiber cement siding. I was concerned that the brush would either be not stiff enough to remove dirt in the crevices or too stiff and would damage the paint. To my relief it performed well. It also didn’t leak at the switch or the extension joint, which was a plus
Advertisement
I don’t wash my truck with this brush because I am lazy and use the car wash, but I do carry it in the bed for clearing snow off the truck in winter. I like the telescoping handle for clearing snow from the roof.
My father-in-law did break the threaded end off inside the broom when I was gone, so I have had to purchase another handle. To this day I have no idea what he was trying to do with it. Otherwise I have never had a problem with normal usage.
One interesting note – according to Libman’s page on sustainability, they use recycled materials when possible, and the product description on Home Depot says that the vehicle brush’s bristles are made from recycled water bottles.
More Info: Libman Product Page, Libman Sustainability Info
Stan
Another great article Ben and glad to see this product is USA made as well. Libman does produce some great items, but for some reason, I am unable to locate this product on the central Libman website.
Home Depot lists the model number as 560, but there doesn’t seem to be a large quantity of distributors for this.
I did however find the handle on Amazon. This model number is 00607 and the ASIN number to locate this on Amazon is B002YLRJUM.
Below is a link.
http://www.amazon.com/Libman-Off-Flow-Thru-Handle/dp/B002YLRJUM/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421681741&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Libman+flow+thru+brush
Thanks for the cool article Ben.
Benjamen
Just to let you know Stuart added the line “According to some product descriptions, the brush and handle are made in the USA.” to the post. The Walmart link says made in the USA and on the Libman website they say:
BUT…The label on the handle I own says Made in China. So I’m not sure if there are two versions of the same model, one made in China and one made in the USA or if Walmart and some of the other places advertising made in the USA have older/newer versions. Like everything else: caveat emptor.
Here’s the link for the handle on the Libman site. It is hard to find because you need to enter the correct model into the flaky search box:
http://www.libmanpro.com/products.aspx#/Brushes+and+Scrubs/168m/
Stan
Benjamen, thank you for responding to my post. I knew that most Libman brooms were made in USA (except for corn brooms and others) and I figured the broom handles (save for some) were also USA made.
Doesn’t surprise me that Walmart may have outdated information on this product, but after speaking to Sammy at Libman products 1-877-818-3380, I was told that the model number 00607 is made in China. Just to put this out there, that number to the manufacturer and this item falls under the commercial line as well.
I guess Walmart truly is using old information, given what I was told. I am not sure about the model number 00540 if that is made in China or if this is USA made as I didn’t inquire about that unit.
Caveat emptor indeed, especially in this case. Then again, I suppose now and days, brand reputation and going off what some distributors claim isn’t enough. Sometimes you have call the original equipment manufacturer directly to receive answers.
Kurt
The only type of brush I would use on a vehicle finish is high quality hogs hair. The best are made by Erie Brush in Chicago, but they are very expensive, over $ 100.00 for a tri-level head without handle. I used them at my car wash and had one left over, so that’s what I use on my personal vehicle, a minivan; it takes more time to set up that actually wash the van.
fred
Unger makes (in China) something similar:
http://www.amazon.com/960010C-10-Inch-Waterflow-Multi-Purpose-Bristle/dp/B000I1A3PS
O bought one several years ago from an Unger Pro display at Home depot wanting to try it for lawn and garden furniture cleaning. I was not the right choice for that application
firefly
I recall seeing something similar at Lowes as well that target at people needing to scrub their wooden deck. I have never used one before nor have any intention too since I already have a pressure washer and a good ole push broom. If it’s a small enough job I just use the broom. If it’s a big enough job I have no problem to pull out my pressure washer.
I can see the appear though if the pass-through handle doesn’t compromise it durability or factor too much into the price.
fred
My attempted use of the Unger Brush was on soft items (cushions on long benches etc.) where I did not want to use my pressure washer. I ended up with a more hands-on approach.
csgo skins shop
Your stuff is rather exciting.|
csgo skins shop http://www.skrivmaskinen.se/plug.php?e=weblogs&m=page&id=7318