Cleaning Supplies - Brooms & Brushes - Handled Brushes

Choosing the right brush fibers

Nylon

Nylon is a flexible, silky synthetic fiber first used in the 1930s to make toothbrush bristles and women's hosiery. Nylon has a high heat tolerance; it melts instead of burns. It stands up to most acids, alkalis, oil, detergents & solvents and is extremely abrasion resistant. Strong enough to be used for seat belts; nylon resists rotting, bugs and mildew. Unlike most polymers, it will absorb water but does not mat or hold odors. For this reason, it is used in the food service industry.

Palmyra

Palmyra fibers come from the leaf stalks of the Palmyra Palm, native to India, southeast Asia and Africa. Also called a Sugar Palm, Palmyra resembles a tall coconut tree. The leaves are used to make thatching, baskets and fans, as well as brush bristles. Durable Palmyra is brown in color, has a stiff to medium stiff texture and is resistant to liquids. Economical and tough, the Palmyra brush is ideal as an all-purpose heavy duty sweep for sidewalks, patios, driveways and general landscape maintenance.

Palmyra Stalks

Also as a product of the Palmyra Palm, Palmyra stalks are very coarse, stiff and strong. It has the appearance of split bamboo or cinnamon bark. Used in its native habitat for fencing, Palmyra stalks are commonly made into street brooms and used for clearing the heaviest debris. Excellent for wet and dry use over pavement, concrete and driveways.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a synthetic fiber that is available in many colors and weights for different applications. Poly fibers have a long useful life and are acid and solvent resistant. They dry quickly, are waterproof and rot resistant. Crimped poly fibers have more water retention ability while flagged poly fibers have a soft bristle tip that can gather fine particles of debris. Perfect for industrial and commercial settings where sweeping is constant; polypropylene can be used for scrubbing wet and dry surfaces.

Polystyrene

More flexible and almost as strong as aluminum, polystyrene is a durable synthetic fiber that resists moisture and most solvents. Flagged polystyrene fibers deliver dependable, non-scratch performance to painted vehicle surfaces and windows. Excellent for service stations, food service and other commercial applications.

Tampico

Derived from the leaf of the Lechugilla plant of Mexico, Tampico has a soft to medium texture. It has a natural white color but is frequently dyed or bleached. Tampico has good resistance to heat and chemicals, good water retention and can maintain its stiffness while wet. It has excellent shape memory and can be used alone or blended with other fibers.