Salvage your parts cleaning brush

Every technician uses those round stiff-bristle parts cleaning brushes, either with flow through solvent or without, and every tech has also seen the result of wear and tear on the bristles. The “mushroom” of worn bristles makes cleaning stubborn dirt and grease difficult, but there’s an easy solution that will extend the life of the brush. It’s called “bridling”, and it uses a part every tech knows well: O-rings. Take an old O-ring and slip it over the handle of the brush, then roll down the handle and onto the wayward bristles, gathering them into a neat cylinder. It’s simple and effective, but be sure to use an O-ring that resists solvent attack. Don ‘t have one at hand? Remove one from the transmission filter you’ve just replaced. It’s designed to resist oil attack, and best of all, it’s free.