There are times when you may have a difficult stain or a more substantial area that needs some scrubbing. You could use a standard hand brush, but let’s face it, it’s hard work, and they aren’t that effective. For those stubborn stains, or patches of grime, this is when I call in what I like to call the “big guy”, my pressure washer brush, the “big guy” just get’s the job done, making easy work out of removing stains.
But getting any old pressure washer brush isn’t going to cut the mustard, and with so many options on the market, how do you know you are getting the best pressure washer brush? I mean, they all seem somewhat similar, right?
In a hurry? then I personally use the Karcher Universal Brush Attachment Kit for Electric and Gas Power Washers, it can handle a huge amount of PSI and GPM and as you get two brushes there aren’t many jobs you can’t do, add to that the universal adapters and it’ll fit any pressure washer. I also use the Sun Joe SPX-RB1 Rotary Brush when I need the extra rotational scrubbing
This is why I’ve put together a list of pressure washer brush reviews, I’ve done the hard work and filtered the list down to only the best options. So that you can make a calculated choice to find the brush that suits your needs.
On top of that, to ensure that you get the right one for your needs, I’ve put together a buyers guide, so you can pick the right type of brush for your needs.
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Sun Joe SPX-RB1 Rotary Wash Brush Kit For SPX Series Pressure Washers |
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Karcher PS40 Powerscrubber Brush Extension for Karcher Electric Pressure Washers |
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Karcher Universal Brush Attachment Kit for Electric and Gas Power Washers |
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Best Pressure Washer Brush Reviews
If you are looking for a good pressure washer brush that’s designed for residential use, then this small brush might be perfect for you.
It’s made with soft bristles and is perfect for you if you are looking for a rotating brush to clean your car with.
This pressure washer brush has been designed in such a way that it’s perfect for dispensing the detergent. All you need to do is supply your pressure washer with soap/detergent in its soap tank, and with this brush, you’ll quickly be spreading it across surfaces and removing built-up grime.
This brush is compatible with the majority of pressure washers come the Karcher brand, specifically those within Karcher’s residential models.
It’s incredibly easy to attach, simple, just snap it into place, connected and ready to use in seconds, and there isn’t much you can’t clean with it.
Pros
- The soft bristles are perfect for the more delicate surfaces
- Incredibly efficient when cleaning flat surfaces
Cons
- It is only compatible with Karcher electric pressure washers
- It’s fixed angle isn’t ideal for cleaning cars or other angled surfaces
Sun Joe always manages to produce some fantastic cleaning products, and this rotary brush is no exception to that.
It has soft bristles and is perfect for cleaning your car and flat surfaces.
Thanks to it’s fixed design, it’s incredibly easy to use. You’ll always have complete control of its direction.
The brush head is also relatively large, so it offers excellent coverage, meaning you’ll get through your cleaning reasonably quickly.
This brush comes with a two-year warranty, the company also offers a no questions asked policy, so if something goes wrong, you can request to have it fixed or replaced and you can consider it done.
Pros
- The warranty covers all potential problems
- Can be used by a wide variety of pressure washers
- Perfect for deep cleaning
Cons
- The fixed design can make it awkward for cleaning cars
- The shaft is weak and prone to breaking
Are you looking for versatility and wide compatibility? Then this brush is for you. In fact, you get two brushes.
You get a rotating brush and a multifunctional brush, allowing you to clean a wide variety of surfaces. You also get 5 adapters allowing this brush to be attached to a wide range of pressure washers.
This pressure washer brush can also handle up to 4000 PSI, so it’s compatible with the majority of pressure washers on the market.
This brush has feathered bristles, making it perfect for painted surfaces, such as walls, cars, boats, etc. The bristles won’t cause any damage.
Pros
- High compatibility with a wide range of pressure washers
- Can handle pressures up to 4000 PSI
- Durable and reliable construction
Cons
- May be awkward to use because of its fixed design
Once again, Karcher knocks it out of the park with another high-quality accessory.
This time they’ve created one that’s ideal with scrubbing floors. Though don’t think that it’s limited to just floors, if you remove the extension pole, you can use it on any other surface that comes to mind.
What really helps is that this brush is adjustable. It has a joint at the brush, allowing you to change the angle and swivel the head so you can target a range of surfaces, reaching all those awkward to reach places.
As this is designed to scrub the floor, it comes with hard, stiff bristles, which are also fantastic for preventing splash-back during cleaning.
This is not a brush that’s been designed for dealing with delicate surfaces, so I would avoid cleaning your car with it, though it’s perfect for cleaning a brick wall or a concrete floor.
Pros
- Perfect for cleaning hard surfaces such as concrete, asphalt, brick, etc
- Stiff bristles prevent any splash-back and tackle grime with ease
Cons
- Only really suitable for floors
- The brush is only compatible with a range Karcher pressure washers
Looking to clean your car quickly, bringing it back to its original shine>
Then this rotating brush is perfect for you, with its soft bristles it’ll easily eliminate any trace of dirt and grime and is safe on the delicate surfaces of your car.
Also, an added benefit of this brushes soft bristles is that it’s very efficient for dispensing soap. It’s also able to handle warm water, it’s not limited to cold water only. Making it ideal for removing grease that dirt.
It comes with a ¼ inch quick connect connector, which allows you to quickly connect the brush to the wand or hose of your pressure washer.
You also get a few accessories included, you get a waffle mitt and a drying towel, the mitt will ensure that you don’t rub dirt particles over the paint on your car introducing micro-scratches and towel will ensure that no streaks are left behind when drying.
Pros
- Fantastic additional accessories included
- Easy to use, even on curved surfaces
- Soft bristles make it perfect for cleaning vehicles and other delicate surfaces
Cons
- The brush doesn’t easily lock into place
- Since it is made from plastic, it is rather weak and short-lived
If you take pride in your car, the last thing you want is to leave a mark or cause a chip in your paint, which is why I suggest you specialize in a specialized brush.
This rotating car washing brush features very soft bristles, with an ergonomic handle, which isn’t only easy to use, but it will be very delicate on any surface that you clean, whether that’s your car or your windows, etc
The brush features a detergent reservoir allowing you to use it to spray snow foam onto your vehicle.
Pros
- The ergonomic handle is comfortable to hold
- The soft bristles ensure no damage to your car
- A great option if you need to reach high up places
Cons
- The material it’s made from is rather cheap
Yes, another option from Karcher, this one comes with two brushes, a narrow-headed brush and a round one, ensuring that you can clean any surface you need.
These brushes are both rated for up to 4.0 GPM and 3000 PSI. These are huge numbers, so are perfect for residential and commercial purposes, handling medium to heavy-duty work.
Also, you get two connector adapters, meaning you can fit these to any kind of pressure washer on the market.
The bristles are extra soft, so perfect for cleaning all delicate surfaces, so cars, painted walls, windows, you name it, these will clean them without any chance of damage.
Pros
- Versatile brush kit
- Designed to withstand pressures up to 3000 PSI and 4.0GPM
- Incredibly efficient when it comes to removing dirt from delicate surfaces
Cons
- Non-rotating and you can change the angle
What Is a Pressure Washer Rotating Brush?
A pressure washer rotating brush is an attachment head that you can add to your pressure washer in place of your standard pressure washer nozzle, hopefully attached to one of these famous electric pressure washers
These may come with one or two spray nozzles within, like pressure washer surface cleaners. The difference between a pressure washer rotating brush vs. a pressure washer surface cleaner is that the rotating brush will come with bristles that are designed for scrubbing at the surface, whereas a surface cleaner typically does not.
Pressure washer brushes are meant for dealing with the tougher stains, ones that your standard spray nozzle isn’t able to cope with.
It also enables a gentler cleaning, which is why pressure washer brushes are an excellent choice for people looking to clean laminated walls, windows, or even vehicles.
Benefits of Having a Rotating Brush
While you could just use your pressure washer nozzle to get a deep cleaning of your surfaces. But by using a rotating pressure washer brush, you get some additional benefits over a standard nozzle tip.
- A rotating brush will handle those stubborn areas of dirt and grime, without needing to use high temperatures.
- A rotating brush will reduce the amount of time it takes to clean dirt, as you won’t need to make multiple passes over the same area.
- It can provide a gentler clean, so you can clean various surfaces such as cars, walls, or fences.
- Fantastic at cleaning your cleaning as these will get into the grooves and remove the built-up grime, here’s a helpful guide on how to use pressure washers to clean decks.
- You clean a more substantial area with a single pass that you would with a standard spray nozzle
By using a rotating pressure washer brush, you reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to remove a stain, you’ll also use less water thanks to the reduced time cleaning.
Pressure Washer Rotating Brush Buying Guide
Before rushing out and purchasing a pressure washer brush, there are certain factors that you might want to bear in mind.
1. Cleaning Requirement
What are you looking to clean with this brush? If you are looking to scrub a car or a bike, you need to bear in mind that you can’t use the same brush for your car as you would for cleaning your floors.
Rotating brushes for vehicles are much smaller and easier to handle than the floor cleaning alternatives, the pressure washer surface cleaner, surface cleaners which are meant for floors and walls have a much wider diameter, make sure you consider this before purchase a pressure washer brush.
2. Brush Compatibility
You need to make sure that the pressure washer brush you are looking to purchase is compatible with your particular model of pressure washer.
Most rotating brushes will have a list of all the pressure washer models that they are compatible with, make sure to check this. You want to ensure that the connection fitting matches that of your pressure washer, though some offer adapters.
You also need to take into account the max PSI and GPM support of the rotating brush against the maximum GPM and PSI that your pressure washer can supply, if you have a gas pressure washer or one of the best electric pressure washers you could exceed the maximum PSI.
3. Bristle Types
Rotating brushes come with different bristle types. Some will be soft others will be stiff.
Soft bristles are perfect for removing dirt and stains from delicate surfaces such as a car without damaging the paint/finish and vinyl sidings (Make sure to pair it with one of the best vinyl siding cleaners).
While stiff bristles are more efficient when it comes to removing grime from surfaces such as concrete/brick walls.
4. Adjustability
The majority of rotating brushes give you the option to adjust the angle of the brush itself. This helps you clean with hard to reach areas, clean curved spots, such as your car or boat, without putting a strain on your wrist.
While you can get a fixed brush, they can be more challenging to work with.
5. Detergent Reservoir
While you can spray detergent directly onto the surface you are about to clean, it’s actually really handy when the pressure washer rotating brush has a detergent reservoir allowing you to apply detergent while you are scrubbing an area, most also provide the ability to control how much detergent is applied.
6. Weight of the Brush
This may not be something that comes to mind when you are buying a pressure washer brush. But actually, it’s rather essential.
When using a brush, you tend to do so for an extended period, and as a rotating brush is typically meant to be elevated, so a heavy brush is the last thing you want. A heavy brush will lead to burning arms after a while.
This is why I suggest you look for a lightweight brush. A lightweight version will reduce fatigue and tiredness.
Personally, I don’t want to feel like I’ve done an arms day at the gym after cleaning my car.
7. Dimensions of the Brush
Brushes come in a variety of sizes, so you may want to consider what you will be using it for. If it’s too bulky, it may not be able to get into every nook and cranny. Make sure to consider what you’ll be using the rotating brush for.
8. Water Temperature
Does your pressure washer produce hot or cold water? Some pressure washer brushes can only be used with cold water, while others will support hot water while you’re cleaning.
You need to make sure that the brush you are looking to purchase is compatible with the temperature of the water that you’re pressure washer will produce.
Typically, cold water jets should be enough to tackle difficult stains. But when dealing with grease and the more difficult stains, you may want to turn up the temperature as hot water can aid with these.
9. Brush Adaptability
This harps back to the brush compatibility. But with so many different connectors/adapters, it can seem difficult to pick out the right one.
The easiest thing to do is to compare the brushes connector or supplied adapters with your pressure washer wands connector.
This will ensure that when you buy a brush, it will easily attach to your pressure washer.
10. Ease of Use
Lastly, a pressure washer brush should be easy to use. If it’s difficult, it won’t get used.
It should be easy to use regardless of the surface that you are planning on cleaning. It shouldn’t be difficult to control and should give you ultimate control over the amount of detergent it applies if there is a detergent reservoir.
Only choose a brush that won’t hinder you when you are using it.
How to Use Rotating Brushes with Pressure Washers
Using a rotating brush is an effortless task, but there are some pointers to ensure you get the best out of your pressure washer brush.
1. Clear the Debris
Before using your rotating brush on a surface, I suggest clearing away any debris.
Debris can clog/block your rotating brush, reducing it’s efficiency and potentially damaging it, the brush is design for dealing with tough stains and dirt, not for moving debris.
Though if you have a broom style brush that doesn’t have any internal rotating nozzles, then this is fine for moving debris.
If yours is a rotating brush, take a standard yard broom and clear away any debris, aim to at least remove the bulk of the dirt before using your pressure washer on the more difficult stains
2. Connect the Rotating Brush
Once you’ve cleared the area, it’s time for you to connect the brush to your pressure washer trigger or, in some cases, your hose.
It will connect to your pressure washer like any other accessory, if you are unsure, typically these just push onto the connector, some have an insert and twist connector.
3. Turn the Unit On
After the rotating pressure washer brush is connected to your pressure washer, make sure that all connections are secure and that no leaks are present.
First, do this by eye and feel, ensuring that everything is tightly connected, then turn on the pressure washer briefly by removing the safety latch and giving the trigger a squeeze making sure to take caution in case the hoses or accessories burst off of the connections.
4. Begin Cleaning
Now it’s time for you to begin cleaning. If your pressure washer brush is fixed and not rotating, make sure to scrub at the surfaces manually until the surface is thoroughly cleaned.
If you’ve purchased a rotating brush, then just glide it over the surface you are cleaning. In most cases, it won’t take more than a single pass to remove dirt, though some more problematic surfaces will require additional passes.
FAQ about Pressure Washer Brushes
1. Can I Clean My Car with a Pressure Washer Brush?
Absolutely! Regardless if the brush is fixed or rotating, you can safely clean your car using a pressure washer brush.
But there is a small caveat, you want to make sure that you do not use a brush with hard bristles as these can scratch your paint.
You want to make sure you use soft-bristled brushes, as these are designed to be used on delicate surfaces.
2. What Kind of Cleaning Agent Should I Use with My Pressure Washer Brush?
There are many great options on the market, I’ve put together a list of soaps you can use in your pressure washer. These are fantastic options for your pressure washer brush. But for the best results, you may want to only use cleaning agents that have been approved by the manufacturer of your pressure washer brush.
If you can’t find your pressure washer/pressure washer brush listed, you can contact the manufacturer to find out which ones to use or just use any from the article linked above.
Your manufacturer should be able to give you all the advice you need, though as a rule of thumb, you should never use harsh chemicals with the brush as they could cause damage.
3. My Brush Isn’t Compatible with My Pressure Washer. What Can I Do?
If you find that your brush isn’t compatible with your pressure washer, then you might have a compatibility issue, in which case you might want to buy an adapter. Do not try and force the brush to fit onto your hose or your pressure washer want, cause that might cause permanent damage to your pressure washer and pressure washer brush.
4. Should I Use a Fixed Brush or an Angled One?
Whether or not to use a fixed or angled brush, depends entirely on the type of surface you are looking to clean.
If you are cleaning a curved surface, then an angled brush makes perfect sense. By curved, I mean a car or the hull of a boat.
However, if you are cleaning a flat surface such as a deck, then a fixed brush is perfect. These aren’t expensive accessories, so it’s handy to have both at hand.
5. Can I Clean a Painted Wall Using a Rotating Pressure Washer Brush?
You can, but you need to check the quality of the paint on the wall. If it’s damaged, has chips, or is easily washed away, then no, I wouldn’t suggest using a rotating pressure washer brush.
If, however, the paint is good quality and healthy, then generally speaking as long as it can handle the jet from your pressure washer nozzle, then it’ll handle your rotating brush.
Though I do suggest using a brush with soft bristles rather than stiff/hard bristles as you could end up chipping away at the paint.
Also, if you can, keep your pressure washers output PSI as low as possible and refrain from using strong cleaning agents.
I suggest testing on a small hidden area first before moving onto clean the entire surface.
Best Pressure Washer Brush Comparison Chart
| PRODUCT | DIMENSIONS (IN.) | WEIGHT (LBS.) | BRISTLE TYPE | MAIN USE | ADJUSTABILITY |
| Karcher Rotating Brush for Karcher Pressure Washers | 16.5 x 5.9 x 4.3 | 0.4 | Soft | Residential | Fixed |
| Sun Joe SPX-RB1 Rotary Wash Brush Kit For SPX Series Pressure Washers | 13.7 x 5.8 x 4.1 | 1 | Soft | Residential | Fixed |
| Powerwasher 80141 Universal Pressure Washer Dual Brush Kit | 6 x 18 x 5 | 2.45 | Soft | Commercial | Fixed |
| Karcher PS40 Powerscrubber Brush Extension for Karcher Electric Pressure Washers | 4.7 x 4.1 x 21.9 | 2.31 | Stiff | Commercial | Angled |
| WUYOR 1/4” Rotary Car Wash Brush for High-Pressure Washers | 11.1 x 6.7 x 4.5 | 1.08 | Soft | Residential | Fixed |
| JSCARLIFE Car Pressure Washer Rotating Wash Brush | 11.7 x 7.8 x 4.6 | 2.22 | Soft | Residential | Fixed |
| Karcher Universal Brush Attachment Kit for Electric and Gas Power Washers | 16 x 3.5 x 5.5 | 1 | Soft | Commercial | Fixed |
Wrap Up
With so many good pressure washer brushes on the market, it’s hard to find the best pressure washer brush. I suggest narrowing the list down to ones that fit your purposes best.
Personally I have two, I use the Sun Joe SPX-RB1 for any stain that needs the extra grunt from a rotating brush, I also use Karcher Universal Brush Attachment Kit as you get two brushes and it’s perfect for the majority of tasks.
Are you looking for something to wash a car? Or are you looking for a brush to scrub your yard? These tasks will require a different brush, thankfully in the reviews above, I’ve given you some fantastic options.
If you have any suggestions of models that I should add or any questions, please let me know in the comments section below.
