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Do those cleaning spin brushes work? We tried one to find out

Do those cleaning spin brushes work? We tried one to find out
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Scrubbing floors, bathtubs, sinks, and windowsills is easily my least favorite chore. So when TikTok videos of cleaning spin brushes started emerging, I started paying attention. These powered brushes do the scrubbing work for you, and the videos make them look like magic.

But do they really work, and are they they next must-have cleaning tool? I put the Leebein spin brush to the test to find out.

What is the Leebein spin brush?

Paige Cerulli / Don't Waste Your Money

$49.99 at Amazon

The Leebein spin brush is an electric, extendable cleaning brush designed for multiple surfaces. It includes eight interchangeable brush heads suitable for everything from wooden floors to faucets and tubs. The spin brush is rechargable, features two speeds, and has a telescoping rod, so you can adjust it from more of a handheld scrubber length to a 54-inch height that lets you use it while standing upright, like a mop.

The spin brushes portrayed on TikTok are various brands, but they all have similar designs. The interchangeable brush heads make them ideal for all sorts of cleaning chores, and the fact that they’re powered saves you plenty of elbow grease.

The Leebein spin brush has more than 13,000 reviews on Amazon, and it currently has a 4.3-star rating. Many reviewers praise its versatility, long-lasting battery, and overall ease of use.

How the brush worked

Paige Cerulli / Don't Waste Your Money

The brush arrived packed securely in a box with all of its attachments. To assemble the brush, I had to screw three pole attachments together. Then, I plugged the brush in with the included charging cord. It took just over three hours to charge.

Usage

Paige Cerulli

I used the spin brush to clean many surfaces in my home, including two bathtubs, a shower, two sinks, a tile floor, and a laminate floor. I appreciated that it includes so many brush attachments, since I was able to choose an attachment that worked well for each surface. Plus, I could designate certain attachments “bathroom-only attachments,” so they won’t transfer germs to the other areas of my home.

To use an attachment, you simply press it down onto the brush head. It’s a bit tricky to remove, since it’s been under significant pressure, but I found that wiggling the attachments back and forth would gradually loosen them.

The brush head features a speed adjustment button on the handle. Press it once and it runs at its faster speed. Press it a second time and the brush runs at the slower speed. It’s simple to operate, but I also found that I frequently accidentally pushed the button while I was using the brush, either changing the speed or turning it off entirely.

Since I was using the spin brush on different surfaces, I frequently adjusted the length of the rod. I liked that the adjustable rod made the tool more versatile, and I had the most success with the rod mostly or entirely compressed. When I fully extended the rod, it felt flimsy, and it was difficult to control the brush head. The extension did work when lightly cleaning a lineoleum floor, but when trying to really scrub a shower, it didn’t give me enough control of the brush.

Performance

Paige Cerulli

All in all, the spin brush performed well, but learning how to best use it requires a little experimentation. I tried different brushes to see what would give me the best results with each cleaning job, and I experimented with how to best hold the rod. As I cleaned, I found that the extension rod sometimes loosened while I worked, and it would start to partially collapse. I had to tighten it extra well after making an adjustment to keep it in place.

It’s important to realize that while the brush saves you the effort of scrubbing, holding onto it is a chore. I initially thought that I would like a third speed that’s even faster, but after using the brush, I realize it would be impossible to control it at a higher speed. I have nerve damage in both hands, so the idea of a spin brush that could do the heavy-duty cleaning for me was appealing. While the brush absolutely makes cleaning easier, you still need a firm grip.

I found the spin brush tricky to use in areas like tubs and showers where you have to maneuver around different angles. It couldn’t get right up into the edges of my shower tile, and while I pressed down firmly, it didn’t effectively clean grout. When trying to really press it down into a surface, it stops spinning, I believe because of that excessive pressure. While cleaning a shower, I repeatedly had to start it up again after it pressed up against corners.

Paige Cerulli

Paige Cerulli

It excelled in cleaning my sink and floors, through. It easily removed some old, set-in stains that were present when I bought my house. I’ve scrubbed those stains by hand many times and thought there was no removing them.

Paige Cerulli

Paige Cerulli

It also removed cat litter stains from a lineoleum floor in less than 30 seconds. I would have been scrubbing those by hand for much longer.

Paige Cerulli

Paige Cerulli

The spin brush has an impressive battery life. While it takes about three hours to charge, I was able to use it on the higher setting for nearly an hour at a time without having to recharge the brush. As a result, I would say that it’s suitable for even bigger, heavier-duty cleaning jobs where you’ll need to be using it for an extended period of time.

Storage

Paige Cerulli

One downside to this brush is the fact that it doesn’t come with any sort of storage for the attachments. Some sort of a drawstring bag would be very helpful. For now, I’m keeping the attachments in the box, and will hang the brush body from the cleaning tools organizer where I hang my brooms. I may buy a small laundry bag for the attachments.

Final Thoughts

The Leebein spin brush is a great choice if you find scrubbing exhausting or if you have physical limitations, like me, that make scrubbing difficult. While it isn’t perfect, it does help to minimize some of the effort that you have to put into cleaning, and its telescoping rod and multiple brush heads make it versatile. Its battery life is great, too, so you can use it when you’re tackling larger jobs like a deep bathroom cleaning without having to stop to recharge.

This story originally appeared on Don't Waste Your Money.