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6 best electric cleaning brushes for sparkling surfaces, tried and tested
Why you need one of these viral deep-cleaning brushes for your home
Tested by Blossom BoothroydHomes Testing Manager
Viral cleaning hacks and gadgets always catch our attention – we’re willing to try anything that will make tackling grime and stains easier. But we rarely come across a truly game-changing one – and we've been testing the latest cleaning innovations for over 100 years at the Good Housekeeping Institute.
However, the best electric cleaning brushes do offer something different and we can definitely see the appeal of cleaner surfaces with less elbow grease. So, we decided to see what the fuss was about.
What is the best electric cleaning brush?
Best electric cleaning brush starter kit
Stardrops The Pink Stuff - The Miracle Scrubber Kit
Read review
Electric cleaning brushes are similar to a large electric toothbrush, promising to spruce up your surfaces without hours of scrubbing. The most viral, the SonicScrubber has amassed around 35 million views on TikTok and we're not surprised– these clever devices can seriously upgrade your cleaning routine.
Our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute spread various household stains over windows, hobs and tiles before getting to work with these electric scrubbing brushes, to see just how good they really are. These are the ones that wowed our experts.
Pros
- Dishwasher-safe attachments (up to 50C)
- No watermarks left on glass
- Best we tested at covering larger areas
Cons
- Details brush was almost too soft for some fabrics, but worked well on sofas and car seats
- On/off button must be pressed firmly
Score: 93/100
Our winner, the Bosch UniversalBrush, is a rechargeable cleaning brush, so you don’t have to worry about batteries. Testers found it effectively cleaned all stains, which means it barely dropped marks in testing.
It comes with two different-sized brush heads; the larger of the two was fantastic at removing soap scum and grease and tackling stains on grout, while the smaller one reliably reached into crevices. It wasn’t as well-balanced as the larger head though, so our testers had to use a little more force to move it along.
Even washing up heavily soiled pans was effortless – and comfortable too. Our experts found the lightweight cleaner pleasing to hold and use throughout testing, even over longer periods. They’d have liked the charging port to have a cover so it could be charged straight after cleaning, rather than waiting until it dried, but it’s a worthy winner.
Key specifications
| Weight | 0.33kg |
|---|---|
| Suitable surfaces | Bathroom tiles, kitchen and stove, pots and pans, garden equipment |
| Accessories | Bristle brush, detailed brush, pad holder, microfibre non-scratch pad, abrasive heavy-duty pad, charging cable |
| Power source | Rechargeable |
HOTO Wand™ Electric Spin Scrubber
Pros
- Impressive battery life – we didn’t have to recharge once during our testing
- Indicator lights show when it’s low on power
- All heads are magnetic so they’re easy to change and feel secure
Cons
- You can’t order replacement cleaning heads
- No information on maintenance and care of the brush
Score: 90/100
With four different sized cleaning brushes, plus an adapter for adding scouring pads or cloths, you’re fully kitted out with everything you need to get your home sparkling. The cloths worked a dream on our hob, buffing the surface and giving it a shiny post-clean finish.
Soap scum lifted quickly in the bathroom, as did water marks, and our expert was impressed by how the bristles remained pliable, yet still durable, for great cleaning. We had to switch to a smaller brush head to tackle grouting and apply more pressure, but it quickly did the trick.
The power button is on the small side and requires a bit of pressure to turn it on and off, as well as switching between the two speeds, but otherwise the brush was hard to fault.
Key specifications
| Weight | 0.18kg |
|---|---|
| Suitable surfaces | Shower screens, tiles, dishes, bathtubs, ovens, shoes, car wheels, car interior |
| Accessories | 4 cleaning heads, 4 scouring pads, 4 cloths, and accessory bag |
| Power source | Rechargeable |
Pros
- Excellent for spot cleaning
- Batteries included
- Crevice brush good for dislodging trapped dirt in small spaces
Cons
- Vibrations can feel a tad uncomfortable after extended use
- Some effort required to direct brush precisely
Score: 86/100
Unlike the rechargeable Bosch winner, this is battery-powered and comes with four cleaning heads, including a large and small brush, a crevice tool and an upholstery brush, which our testers loved for its soft, gentle bristles.
While it generally cleaned tiles and grouting with ease, testers found the brush flicked and spread some grease when moving across crevices. A final wipe down afterwards should solve this though, and tackling pots, pans, and hobs was a dream – the cleaner banished stains with zero scrubbing, so everything was left smear-free and shiny.
Be sure to check the brush on a small area of your cookware first to ensure it doesn't scratch (this goes for all the brushes we tested), as our expert noted that the large brush bristles felt quite tough. They didn’t spot any marks on test though. The rubber handle provided good grip when wet, the brush heads were easy to attach, and the results were truly satisfying.
Key specifications
| Weight | 0.212kg |
|---|---|
| Suitable surfaces | Bathroom tiles, kitchen and stove, pots and pans, sinks, toilets, microwaves |
| Accessories | Medium rush, cone brush, large brush, soft brush |
| Power source | Battery |
Pros
- Easy-to-grip rubber handles
- Batteries included
- Best at cleaning glass
Cons
- Attachments can be tricky to fit
- More directing required to achieve a precision clean than some
Score: 79/100
Beldray’s well-designed electric cleaning brush was excellent at loosening dirt, no matter what surface our experts tried it on. Its four brushes make it adaptable too, whether you need its cone-shaped head to tackle grouting, or its soft bristle brush to clean upholstery. And if you need one for flat surfaces, testers said this was one of the best.
It lost marks because it didn’t always lift the dirt entirely from some surfaces, flicking it away instead. But we suggest using it to agitate any staining first, then following up with a quick wipe down – after all, it's still doing the scrubbing for you.
Again, it’s best kept for spot cleaning, not least because the vibrations were quite noticeable, so you may not want to use it for extended periods. Overall though, this nifty cleaning brush is an affordable cleaning companion.
Key specifications
| Weight | 0.27kg |
|---|---|
| Suitable surfaces | Tiles, grout, home appliances, corners and crevices, delicate surfaces |
| Accessories | Four brush heads – large, small, cone, and soft brush |
| Power source | Battery |
Stardrops The Pink Stuff - The Miracle Scrubber Kit
Pros
- Good selection of heads
- Intuitive controls
Cons
- Have to hold down the on-button which can be uncomfortable with the vibrations
- No variable power
Score: 78/100
Armed with four durable brush heads (all with different purposes) and plenty of The Pink Stuff cleaning paste, our testers were ready to do some serious scrubbing. Using the provided paste produced the best results (read our full Pink Stuff cleaner review for more info) but even on its own, the scrubber performed reasonably well in the kitchen. Dried tomato stains lifted from both the stove and floor tiles in around two minutes. Cleaning up taps took less elbow grease too.
It struggled when it came to removing watermarks in the bathroom though, leaving some for us to buff away after, so we recommend sticking with the cleaning paste and tackling tough kitchen stains.
Key specifications
| Weight | 0.21kg |
|---|---|
| Suitable surfaces | Bathroom, floors, car wheels, hob, sofa, windows |
| Accessories | Medium brush head, large brush head, firm cone head, soft brush head, two tubs of The Pink Stuff Miracle Cleaning Paste |
| Power source | Battery (4 x AA batteries included) |
Pros
- Easy to fit and remove attachments with a satisfying and secure ‘click’
- Detailed instructions, with guidance on what to use the different attachments for
- Indicator light shows when it’s fully charged
Cons
- No indicator to show if the battery is low
- The scrubbing pad showed signs of wear and tear after testing and you can’t buy replacements
- Hard plastic handle gets slippery when wet
Score: 78/100
Gliding smoothly across different surfaces, this electric cleaning brush performed particularly well on shower screens, tiles and hobs, where it agitated stains and lifted them without a hitch.
The range of cleaning heads helped with different tasks, but the size of the brush heads made it tricky to get into small spaces, such as around taps. For the spots we could reach, though, the brushes left our taps free from soap scum, watermarks and smears.
The battery lasted for two hours too, allowing plenty of time to get stuck into cleaning.
Key specifications
| Weight | 0.28kg |
|---|---|
| Suitable surfaces | Dishes, bathtubs, oven stoves, grout, tile flooring, bathroom walls, cooker tops, stains |
| Accessories | Four brush heads, polishing pad and wall mount |
| Power source | Rechargeable |
How we test electric cleaning brushes
To test these cleaners, we mess up the Good Housekeeping Institute lab! We start in the bathroom, smearing the shower screen and tiles with a mix of shampoo, body wash and body oil to replicate soap scum, and leaving it for a minimum of 10 minutes to let it dry and set in.
Then we head to the kitchen. Tiles and hobs are stained with tomato sauce and grease, and the kitchen taps are covered in splashes of tea. Each surface is left for two hours before we get to work with the electric brushes.
Our experts judge how well each brush tackles the spills, looking to see if it loosens and lifts well, rather than smearing the stains around. We also check for any excessive vibrations, spitting or splashing, and see how well the different heads get into nooks and crannies.
Testers also take each brush home to see how they fare against real-world mess, using the scrubbers for tasks like washing up pans with burnt-on food.
Throughout testing, our experts assess how easy each brush is to use, considering its design and quality of instructions.
Why you should trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
Cleaning tips and tricks are the Good Housekeeping Institute’s heartland and we’re constantly searching for the best products to help you tackle those household chores. You can trust that we know what’s best too as we’ve been testing cleaning products at the Good Housekeeping Institute for over 100 years now.
Every new launch that comes through our testing facility is scrutinised against its claims. Our homes testing manager, Blossom Boothroyd, creates testing protocols to ensure our reviews are fair and unbiased, and we use products exactly as you would at home.
The results are then handed to our senior homes and lifestyle writer, Megan Geall. She picks out all the information you need to make an informed decision about which electric cleaning brush is the best for your home and budget. Megan has written hundreds of reviews and spends time attending trade shows and speaking to brands to find the hottest new products on the market.
What is a SonicScrubber?
If you’ve ever ended up down a rabbit hole on #CleanTok (aka TikTok's cleaning videos), you’ll probably be familiar with the SonicScrubber. It was the first electric cleaning brush to go viral, with social media users filming themselves blasting through dirt while barely lifting a finger.
The battery-powered cleaning brush oscillates about 10,000 times a minute, and scored 86/100 with our testers, earning it third place in our line-up.
Do electric brushes clean better?
If you’re wondering why you can’t just use an old toothbrush, well you can. Both electric and manual brushes will help you achieve a deep clean, but using an electric brush will make the job a lot quicker and easier.
By combining speed and power, the best electric brushes tackle tough stains and hard-to-reach grime without the need for too much elbow grease. In fact, if you find too much scrubbing makes your arm ache, they’re an ideal tool.
Some also come with interchangeable heads, which make them even more versatile – look for a larger head to cover a bigger surface area or a pointed one to tackle corners.
The verdict: What is the best electric cleaning brush?
Our highest-scoring electric cleaning brush is the Bosch UniversalBrush thanks to its rechargeable design, excellent cleaning power and dishwasher-safe attachments. We also loved the sleek design and great range of attachments you get with our runner-up, the HOTO Wand Electric Spin Scrubber, which is slightly cheaper than the Bosch model.
If you’d prefer a model powered by replaceable batteries, opt for the SonicScrubber, the original viral cleaning brush that got people talking on TikTok.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women's Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims. Her aim is to find the top-performing products on the market, to help take the hard work out of housework. Blossom’s most notable accomplishment in the lab has been toasting 528 slices of bread in her quest to find the best toasters money can buy. In her free time, she openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
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