General Description:
A dense fringe of soft, finger-length bristles sprouting from a wooden or plastic handle. People differ on whether to clean the work area during the job and immediately afterward or to leave the mess for later on, before the next project can begin. Either way, true karmic progress accrues to handypersons who don’t leave messes for others to clean up.
Habitat:
Workbench tool tray and janitorial closet. Sold in hardware stores and home centers. Also available to rent at tool hire stores. Distinguish the bench brush from scrubbing brushes by its longer handle and softer bristles.
Primary Use:
Sweeping debris off the workbench, stepladder, or job site and into the trash can.
Secondary Uses:
Sweeping crumbs off the tablecloth. Cleaning the hearth. When playing charades, represents a sword or a ridiculously large moustache.
Variations:
Small whisk brooms have longer bristles. Cordless miniature vacuum cleaners do similar work.
How to Use:
1. Put away tools, fasteners, and parts, and anything else you intend to keep.
2. Grasp the brush handle, keeping your wrist at a comfortable angle. Use the bristles to sweep the debris (also called “chips,” “scrap,” or “swarf”) into a heap. For efficiency, sweep with the length of the brush. For a deeper scrub, push the brush endwise.
3. Brush the debris directly into a trash can or into a dustpan.
