Cleaning is important. Whether it’s your home or your vehicle, a consistent cleaning schedule will keep things neat and running efficiently. Cleaning is also exhausting and time-consuming — and that’s where rotary cleaning comes in.
Rotary cleaning tools help to take the climbing, bending, reaching, and exertion out of your regular scrubbing schedule. But what are these tools? How do they work? And what can they be used to clean?
At HY-C, we manufacture four lines of rotary cleaning tools under our Gardus brand name. And in this guide, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about rotary cleaning.
By the time you’re finished here, you’ll understand what rotary cleaning is, and what rotary cleaning tools can be used to clean. You’ll have all the information you need to pick out the right rotary cleaning tool for your next cleaning job.
What Is Rotary Cleaning?
Rotary cleaning utilizes the torque and power of a drill to make cleaning simpler. The cleaning tools themselves come with a drill bit on the end that slides into the chuck of the drill. The other end of the tool typically features a brush head, paddle, or whip, depending on the cleaning task.
The tools are usually extendible, too, utilizing either multiple rods or a telescoping mechanism to increase your reach. After the entire system is connected, simply point your tool and power on your drill. The end of the tool will spin, cleaning whatever you need to clean.
You can use some rotary cleaning tools either completely dry or with your cleaning solution of choice. If the brush or whip head gets dirty, just rinse it off and get back to it.
Dryer Vent Cleaning Tools
Dryer vents are one of the most common targets for rotary cleaning tools. There are plenty of popular dryer vent cleaning kit manufactures out there, like Holikme, Everbilt, Deflecto, and Sealegend. At HY-C, we manufacture our own dryer vent cleaning kit: the LintEater.
LintEater utilizes flexible, nylon rods between 18 inches and 3 feet in length (depending on the kit). The rods connect to each other and feature an auger-style brush head on one end and a drill bit attachment on the other.
After you connect the system to your drill, simply push it through the length of your dryer vent with the drill running. The rotating brush head will dislodge and remove any dryer lint that has built up in your vent.
With a dryer vent cleaning kit, you can clean your dryer vents on your own with professional-level results. And with four different LintEater models available, it’s easy to find one that will work for you.
Chimney Cleaning Tools
After dryer vents, chimney flues are the next-most common target for rotary cleaning. Popular rotary chimney cleaning kit manufacturers include Sealegend and VEVOR. At HY-C, we make a chimney cleaning kit called SootEater.
Like LintEater, SootEater utilizes a system of flexible rods that connect to one another. One end of the rods houses a drill bit adapter, and the other end connects to a whip-style head. This whip head is made of a similar (but thicker) material to the string on a weed eater.
After the system is assembled, insert SootEater into your chimney flue from the front of your fireplace. With the drill running, just push the length of the rods all the way up through your chimney flue. The whip head will scour the flue tile, scraping it free of ash, soot, and creosote.
Kits like SootEater allow you to clean your own chimney without having to hire a chimney sweep. We manufacture a few versions, including a SootEater for masonry flues and a SootEater for pellet stoves.
Gutter Cleaning Tools
There are a few popular gutter cleaning tools on the market today. Gutter Sense is essentially a pair of long tongs that let you scoop gutter debris without a ladder. Gutter Clutter Buster is a cane-like tool that attaches to your hose, letting you flush debris from ground level.
Our GutterSweep combines the functionality of both of these tools, throwing in a rotary, drill-powered twist. It uses a spinning, drill-driven rubber paddle to knock debris away to start. Then, swap out the paddle brush for the kit’s nozzle brush head and attach your hose. Water flows up through the system, allowing you to flush and scrub out the remaining debris.
One of the biggest advantages of GutterSweep is that it allows you to clean gutters without a ladder. The kit has everything you need to clean gutters wet and dry, all without having to step foot on your roof.
Rotary Cleaning Brush
The company Drillbrush manufactures short brushes and scrub pads that attach to your drill to tackle various cleaning jobs. Holikme makes similar drill attachments. But our SpinAway rotary cleaning brush is one of the few tools to utilize an extendible, telescoping handle.
SpinAway provides 10 total feet of reach, and you can use it over shorter distances as well. It’s an all-purpose cleaning tool, designed for several uses. Use it dry to dust ceiling fans, clean cobwebs, or polish off tough-to-reach ceilings and corners.
You can also use it wet with your cleaning solution of choice. Clean your swimming pool, your bathtub, your car, or the side of your house. You can remove the brush head and clean it in your washer and dryer, or buy a replacement head once your current head wears out.
Our in-depth review of SpinAway takes a look at the tool’s pros and cons. It also provides some additional rotary cleaning tips and tricks.
Which Rotary Cleaning Tool is Right for You?
The world of rotary cleaning is bigger than you may have imagined. From dryer vents and chimneys to gutters, homes, vehicles, pools, and more, there’s no shortage of cleaning jobs for rotary cleaning tools to take on. All you need is a drill and a kit to get started.
But which rotary cleaning tool should you start with?
That all depends on what you clean and how often you clean it. You may live in an apartment and not have to worry about cleaning gutters. Or you may live in a house without a chimney, making SootEater the wrong choice for you.
SpinAway is a good bet to get started with rotary cleaning. Its all-purpose design makes it a good candidate to tackle a wide variety of cleaning jobs. It’s simple, easy to understand, and even easier to use.
A dryer vent cleaning kit is another good way to get started. Most living spaces have dryers, and most dryer vents aren’t cleaned often enough. Our list of the top three dryer vent cleaning kits pits popular models on the market head to head to help you find the right rotary dryer vent cleaning kit for you.
