Shopping for a good car wash brush can prove to be a difficult task since the market is flooded with tons of cheap, low-quality and useless products. Once upon a time, in the not-so-distant past (when cash was the primary source of American currency and before we started paying for most things with plastic), the general population saved all of their quarters in their vehicle to pay for a wash at the local car and truck wash. Those that took care of their vehicles could easily spend a small fortune on these car washes. Car washes today aren’t much cheaper and can sometimes cost several times as much – especially if paying for convenient commercial washes. However, in this day and age of mass-production and importing products, you can buy your own car brush at a cost that’s not much more than a single car wash. If you’re serious about car care, a good brush is worth its weight in gold.
For those that prefer to take care of tasks without leaving home, those that are willing to do a little bit of work to save quite a bit of money, and those that want a quality wash, purchasing your own car wash brush and other washing products is definitely the way to go! If it’s been a while since your last wash or if you decided to take your car down a dirt road or through some mud, perhaps, it’s likely that you may have to run it through the wash multiple times anyways. However, with a good scrub brush, you can typically get a good cleaning in the same amount of time without spending much money at all.
Purchasing a car wash brush isn’t just practical for the standard vehicle owner though, as there is a lot of money in the car cleaning and detailing industry. Purchasing your own car washing equipment to offer washing services can be a great business opportunity. However, you may want to invest a little extra money for a quality professional brush that will clean effectively for the many washes that it will perform.
Our top car wash brush picks
There are really only two things that you need to watch out for while shopping for a good car wash brush that is safe to use on vehicles’ paint jobs. The first thing that you should be aware of is that there are many products released on online marketplaces these days that are private label brands or knock-off products made in China. These may look like the exact same brush that a reputable brand provides, but keep in mind that there’s a good chance that the bristles are made of different materials. They may also be stiffer and contain sharper ends which are capable of scratching your vehicle’s paint. When it comes to car care, it’s worth doing the extra research.
Most of these companies produce and release these products without conducting quality testing on the final product, too. This has been an issue with many different types of products made in China. Many times, a company will submit a prototype’s exact specifications desired to Chinese factories. However, Chinese factories are well-known for cutting corners and using similar (but not exact) materials if they cannot afford the quoted production price or if they cannot locate the exact material. All of the brands listed in this article are well-known and if there were issues with paint scratching, we would have seen complaints in the product reviews and automatically excluded them from our list of top picks.
This article contains 10 great car wash brushes that we’ve picked after some serious research. We will discuss the features, quality, and other aspects of each brush, as well as which brushes are ideal for your individual needs. For your convenience, we have also included links for each brush, which will take you to the lowest prices available for each product. Keep an eye out for free shipping too, because many of these products come with it!
Best Overall Choice
1. Carrand 93072 Flow-Thru 10" Quad Wash Brush with 71" Aluminum Extension Pole
The Carrand Quad wash brush head is 10” wide, which is the perfect size dip brush for most car wash buckets. It’s one of the best-selling brushes available with thousands of positive reviews. Owners of this brush often boast that the bristles are the perfect medium of strength and softness to provide the best clean possible without scratching the vehicles paint. This brush head is equipped with bristles on all sides which provides quick cleaning and the ability to scrub in the toughest of places.
As most of you car washers probably already know, cleaning your tires, wheels, and the fenders around your tires can be extremely difficult to do with a soft bristle brush. These areas are exposed to dirt and other stainable substances the most. Wheels/hubcaps are constantly collecting particles from the brake pads which are extremely difficult to remove; using your typical soft bristle brush will probably remove some of the tough grime, but you’re likely to damage/stain your brush while doing this. Even worse, you may end up smearing all of these particles over the paint which can ultimately destroy your paint job.
Some car washers get a brush with harder bristles, but then you’re risking damage to the vehicles paint and enamel layers and you may scratch areas of the vehicle that are plastic or fiberglass (especially plastic with chrome finishes). However, there are brushes that are specifically designed to clean wheels, tires, fenders, and the lug nut areas. Our recommendation for the best wheel brush is the long-handled wheel well brush, brought to you by Mothers.
This wheel brush has a long handle that’s 16 inches long to give you the leverage you need to apply enough pressure to remove all of the grime on and around your wheels while also preventing strain on your back. The handle comes with a no-slip grip and makes it very comfortable and easy to use and even protects your knuckles while cleaning to prevent personal injuries. The bristles on this brush are sturdy enough to provide a great deep-cleaning but are made soft enough that they will not scratch typical wheel materials. The bristles are also the perfect length to clean all areas on and around the wheel, including the recessed area of the wheel where the lug nuts are located. This wheel brush even has a rubber edge surrounding the brush head to prevent any accidental bumps or scratches.
We chose the Mothers long-handled wheel cleaning brush to recommend to readers because of its great design, features, perfect bristles to provide a deep clean, and price. This brush is available for about $10 and has quality materials that will last for many washes, which makes this brush a no-brainer addition to your car cleaning supplies whether you’re using for personal or professional use.
The Ultimate Car Wash Mitts, offered by Relentless Drive, can benefit virtually anybody when it comes to washing vehicles. The mitts are made of chenille microfiber (the best cleaning material out there) and contain the microfiber on both sides of the mitt. The microfiber is extremely soft, absorbent, and considered one of the safest materials for all types of paint jobs and delicate surfaces.
This is an all-around perfect product for personal car washes, professional car washers, and everybody in between. Many say that they’re a great way to get children out to wash the car since they can be fun for them to use! If you have a very valuable car or a new paint job and somewhat skeptical of using a bristle brush, stay on the safe side and use these mitts.
You may find that there are many different brands out there, of similar products, but Relentless Drive’s mitts are made of the best material we’ve found and the brand is well-known for creating quality products. The material lasts forever and is able to hold/absorb more water than sheepskin. This product is one of Amazon’s best sellers in the car wash accessories category and has over 1,000 positive reviews (averaging 4.8 out of 5 stars) which is far more than any other similar products that we’ve been able to find.
The Mosmatic 50” Car Wash Brush and Pole is a little more of a serious brush and probably is more for auto collectors, mechanics, car detailers, or professional car washers, as this wash brush equipment can get a little pricey. That said, it is nothing short of amazing and worth every penny!
The Mosmatic 50” brush pole allows flow-through liquid and detergent and is meant for solutions up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, has a flow rate of 3 to 12 gallons per minute of cleaning solution, and is rated for up to 4,000 psi of pressure. It is constructed with stainless steel material and a black polished surface. The Mosmatic brush pole also has a swiveling grip handle made of polyurethane and bristles made of boar’s hair. This is an all-around high-quality brush that provides an amazing clean and will last for literally thousands of washes.
The Carrand flow-thru brush is an excellent choice for those that wish to get a deep, thorough cleaning at their home without the need of any extra pricey equipment or add-on parts – aka those who take their car care seriously. The brush is very reasonably priced at around $30, considering all of the features and the quality of the wash brush.
This brush has an 8” wide brush head (perfect for the standard-size vehicle) with super soft brush bristles and rubber bumpers to protect your vehicle from scratches or damage. The brush is connected to a telescoping pole that connects to a water hose. The pole extends up to 40 inches for quick cleaning while reducing strain on the user, and features an on/off switch for water flow. Another great feature of this car wash brush is the fan spray rinse which allows you to quickly clean and scrub while rinsing at the same time. It’s great for more heavy duty truck wash jobs too.
Ettore is another great brand that is well-known throughout the car wash industry. Among Ettore’s wide variety of auto wash products is the Extend-A-Flow Auto Scrub Brush. We chose this model of brush for several reasons, such as its extremely long pole reach, amazing grips, great functionality, and amazing brush head. The Extend-A-Flo brush is extremely affordable and provides some extreme value for the price you’ll pay for this high-quality brush.
The brush handle extends to a whopping 72 inches (6 feet) long and can easily be connected to all garden hoses with standard hose connectors. The handle and pole feature an on/off switch to initiate or to kill the flow of water while not in use. There are also two excellent grips along the adjustable pole that are extremely soft and contoured to your fingers for the best grip possible while you’re washing your vehicle. This washing pole’s impressive length and adjustability also make the product useful for washing RVs, windows, and even walls.
However, the adjustable flow-through pole isn’t the only impressive feature of this brush. It has one of the best brush heads I’ve ever used. The head of the brush is constructed with super-strong fiberglass and rubber bumpers, making it almost impossible to break while also preventing bumps and scratches while scrubbing your vehicle. The soft bristles are soft enough for even clear coat paint jobs but are an impressive 2.5” long (about the same length of industrial size brooms) which can knock practically any dirt stains or clumps loose for an excellent clean. The brush head is also 10 inches wide, which allows you to cover a lot of surface area very quickly. This is by far one of the best car washing brushes I’ve ever used! It’s perfect for personal and professional automobile washers who take car care seriously.
This is one of the most creative brushes I’ve seen yet. It’s the perfect mix between a water toy and a car washing brush. AutoRight’s easy wash stick extends to a perfect length of 56 inches for easy reach of all surface area on large, small, tall or short vehicles; it’s perfect for cars, vans, SUVs, and even RVs. The brush head features perfectly sturdy but soft brush bristles (like the other brushes in this article) for a great cleaning that knocks loose tough dirt stains while also removing the smaller particles to make the vehicle shine without scratching the paint job or any other surfaces of the vehicle. There’s also a rubber bumper around the brush head to prevent dings and scratching.
However, this brush’s features aren’t just like all of the other typical cleaning brushes. There are no water hoses, connectors or other cleaning equipment needed for this wash brush. In fact, it’s one of the most energy and water efficient car brush kits available. All that is needed is a bucket of water and your favorite car cleaning soap or detergent (though the soap is optional). The handle of this brush can be pulled back to suck in up to 18 fluid ounces of cleaning solution. To distribute the cleaning solution, simply push the handle back in which will squirts the solution out through the brush head. This allows you to use as much or little cleaning solution as you would like and can also be used to easily rinse the car off after scrubbing and washing.
Not only is this cleaning brush a great choice for those that are shopping for a great personal car wash brush to keep at home and a great addition to professional cleaners’ arsenal of supplies, but it’s also great for those with sporting vehicles as well. For instance, after a long day at the lake, most boat owners (that do not have a slip for their boat) will pull the boat out of the water and wipe the boat clean with several washing towels. Some boat owners even run their boats to the commercial car wash frequently. However, with the AutoWise Easy Wash Stick, you can give your boat a good deep-clean in the parking lot of the lake. I’ve even heard of Easy Wash Stick owners that keep this brush on their boats. The same goes for racing vehicles, dirt bikes, motorcycles, ATV’s, and more – it’s even good enough for a thorough truck wash too! This is also another great brush for those that want to encourage the children to do the washing for you – because it’s a seriously fun brush to use for everybody!
8. Carrand 93210 Long Chenille Microfiber Wash Mop with 48" Extension Pole
For those that are just looking for a basic car wash, this car wash brush may not be totally necessary, but this is an essential addition for professional car washers, car collectors, auto detailers, and those looking for a great brush to add to their personal supplies for a deep cleaning. For a price of less than $15, why wouldn’t you add such a great tool to your arsenal of washing supplies?
This amazing microfiber wash mop has an extremely absorbent chenille microfiber bonnet, which is able to retrieve even the smallest of particles (with its absorbing properties and creation of static). The car wash mop comes attached to a 48-inch telescoping pole so that users can easily reach difficult areas of the vehicle without a ladder, such as the roof or hood of the vehicle. This product also has the ability to detach from the extension pole to allow for hand washing, which makes it a perfect choice for antique car owners that deep clean before taking their car to a show.
The 38″ Wash ‘N Jet Brush is a cleaning brush that always ensures that your vehicle gets an excellent wash with its pivoting head brush follows the contour of the exterior of your vehicle and remains in contact with the surfaces the entire time you clean. This wash brush also sports a 3-way water control valve to allow for different stages of the cleaning cycle. There’s an “off” position that will save water (and keep you from getting dowsed while not in use). The second setting is the “Jet” setting which delivers a powerful pressurized stream of water to knock loose tough dirt clumps and grime without harming paint. Lastly is the “Wash” setting, which delivers a low-pressure rinse through the brush head’s bristles to rinse away any dirt particles while scrubbing.
10. BODECIN Adjustable Auto Rotating Car Washing Brush Kit
This amazing car wash brush kit, offered by Bodecin, has it all – and for a great price, considering that you won’t need any extra equipment (like a power washer) or accessories to unleash its full functionality. Simply connect the wash pole into a tap hose and you’re ready to get a quick clean!
Bodecin’s rotating car wash kit features a length-adjustable handle to reduce strain and to reach difficult spots. The kit comes with 2 extenders as well so that you’re able to stay a distance away – if needed – so that you don’t get wet or dirty while washing. Along the flow-thru pole is a container to add your favorite soap or detergent. The flow-thru pole also has a pressure-control switch, allowing three different pressure settings. The kit features a round spinning brush head with an absorbent chenille material on the outside and soft bristles along the outer circumference of the head to scrub and loosen dirt and particles without any harm to the vehicle’s paint or accessories. The brush head spins 360 degrees and spins faster with each increased pressure setting.
The result of these features is a brilliant machine that pressure sprays the vehicle with soap/detergent while knocking loose tough dirt stains and removing even the smallest dirt particles at the same time. The kit even comes with quick connectors for most types of standard and car cleaning hose types.
Is it safe to use a car wash brush? Can they scratch your paint?
This seems to be one of the most common questions among those shopping for a car brush. Almost all car care brushes for sale by reputable brands are safe for pretty much any type of paint job or car surface. As long as your vehicle’s paint job was done by the manufacturer or a professional auto painter, your vehicle’s paint will abide by certain standards and paint qualities that are accepted throughout the industry. However, if a non-professional repainted your vehicle at any point in time, you should be cautious and test a spot on the vehicle that is not typically seen/noticeable.
Pretty much all reputable automotive cleaning supply brands will use high-quality materials that are known to be safe for paint jobs that fit within typical standards. These companies also generally conduct quite a bit of quality testing before officially launching a product to ensure that the bristles of the brush are a safe stiffness, while still remaining strong and effective. All reputable brands typically also include rubber bumpers around edges and corners of the brush head to prevent any scratches or dings while washing your car.
The other thing that you should look out for when purchasing your wash brush is the type of brush. There are brushes, for instance, that are only meant to clean surfaces like wheels, rims, side skirts, and bumpers. These brushes typically come with bristles that are much stronger than the bristles on a standard car wash brush and are more than capable of scratching painted surfaces. Just be sure to read the product descriptions which almost always list if it is a soft-bristle brush and which types of surfaces it is intended to be used on.
I have been wrecking cars for as long as I've been driving them, but I keep coming back for more. Two wheels or four, I'm all in. I founded GearHeads.org and then built and ran AutoWise.com until selling it to Lola Digital Media in 2020. I look forward to watching AutoWise grow as part of the AllGear group.
