Brush

Last updated

A brush is a common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped during use. The material of both the block and bristles or filaments is chosen to withstand hazards of its intended use, such as corrosive chemicals, heat or abrasion. It is used for cleaning, grooming hair, make up, painting, surface finishing and for many other purposes. It is one of the most basic and versatile tools in use today, and the average household may contain several dozen varieties.

Contents

History

When houses were first inhabited, homeowners used branches taken from shrubs to sweep up dirt, hence using the first brushes. In 1859, the first brush factory in America was set up in New York. [1]

Manufacture

A common way of setting the bristles, brush filaments, in the brush is the staple or anchor set brush in which the filament is forced with a staple by the middle into a hole with a special driver and held there by the pressure against all of the walls of the hole and the portions of the staple nailed to the bottom of the hole. The staple can be replaced with a kind of anchor, which is a piece of rectangular profile wire that is anchored to the wall of the hole, like in most toothbrushes. Another way to attach the bristles to the surface can be found in a fused brush, in which instead of being inserted into a hole, a plastic fibre is welded to another plastic surface, giving the option to use different diameters of bristles in the same brush.

Configurations include twisted-in wire (e.g. bottle brushes), cylinders and disks (with bristles spread in one face or radially).

By function

Application of material

Assorted cosmetics and Make-up brushes Makeup weapons Brushes .jpg
Assorted cosmetics and Make-up brushes

The action of such brushes is mostly from the sides, not the tip, contact with which releases material held by capillary action.

Combing

The action of these brushes is more akin to combing than brushing, that is they are used to straighten and untangle filaments. Certain varieties of hairbrush are however designed to brush the scalp itself free of material such as dead skin (dandruff) and to invigorate the skin of the scalp.

Other

Cleaning

A toilet brush Bog brush.JPG
A toilet brush

Brushes used for cleaning come in various sizes, ranging from even smaller than that of a toothbrush, to the standard household version accompanied by a dustpan, to 36″ deck brushes. There are brushes for cleaning tiny cracks and crevices and brushes for cleaning enormous warehouse floors. Brushes perform a multitude of cleaning tasks. For example, brushes lightly dust the tiniest figurine, they help scrub stains out of clothing and shoes, they remove grime from tires, and they remove the dirt and debris found on floors with the help of a dust pan. Specific brushes are used for diverse activities from cleaning vegetables, as a toilet brush, washing glass, cleaning tiles, and as a mild abrasive for sanding.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toothbrush</span> Oral hygiene tool

A toothbrush is an oral hygiene tool used to clean the teeth, gums, and tongue. It consists of a head of tightly clustered bristles, atop of which toothpaste can be applied, mounted on a handle which facilitates the cleaning of hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. They should be used in conjunction with something to clean between the teeth where the bristles of the toothbrush cannot reach - for example floss, tape or interdental brushes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hairbrush</span> Brush for hair care

A hairbrush is a brush with rigid or light and soft spokes used in hair care for smoothing, styling, and detangling human hair, or for grooming an animal's fur. It can also be used for styling in combination with a curling iron or hair dryer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristle</span>

A bristle is a stiff hair or feather, either on an animal, such as a pig, a plant, or on a tool such as a brush or broom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric toothbrush</span> Oral hygiene instrument

An electric toothbrush, motorized toothbrush, or battery-powered toothbrush is a toothbrush that makes rapid automatic bristle motions, either back-and-forth oscillation or rotation-oscillation, in order to clean teeth. Motions at sonic speeds or below are made by a motor. In the case of ultrasonic toothbrushes, ultrasonic motions are produced by a piezoelectric crystal. A modern electric toothbrush is usually powered by a rechargeable battery charged through inductive charging when the brush sits in the charging base between uses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scratch building</span>

Scratch building is the process of building a scale model "from scratch", i.e. from raw materials, rather than building it from a commercial kit, kitbashing or buying it pre-assembled.

A brush is a device with bristles, wire or other filaments used for cleaning, grooming, painting, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plasterwork</span> Construction or ornamentation done in plaster or a similar material

Plasterwork is construction or ornamentation done with plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior or exterior wall structure, or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. This is also sometimes called pargeting. The process of creating plasterwork, called plastering or rendering, has been used in building construction for centuries. For the art history of three-dimensional plaster, see stucco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carpet cleaning</span> Process of removing dirt and stains from carpets

Carpet cleaning is performed to remove stains, dirt, and allergens from carpets. Common methods include hot water extraction, dry-cleaning, and vacuuming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reverse graffiti</span> Method of creating images on surfaces by removing dirt

Reverse graffiti is a method of creating temporary or semi-permanent images on walls or other surfaces by removing dirt from a surface. It can also be done by simply removing dirt with the fingertip from windows or other dirty surfaces, such as writing "wash me" on a dirty vehicle. Others, such as graffiti artist Moose, use a cloth or a high-power washer to remove dirt on a larger scale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse grooming</span>

Horse grooming is hygienic care given to a horse, or a process by which the horse's physical appearance is enhanced for horse shows or other types of competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wire brush</span>

A wire brush is a tool consisting of a brush whose bristles are made of wire, most often steel wire. The steel used is generally a medium- to high-carbon variety and very hard and springy. Other wire brushes feature bristles made from brass or stainless steel, depending on application. Wires in a wire brush can be held together by epoxy, staples, or other binding. Wire brushes usually either have a handle of wood or plastic or are formed into a wheel for use on angle grinders, bench grinders, pistol-grip drill motors, or other power tools.

Personal care products are consumer products which are applied on various external parts of the body such as skin, hair, nails, lips, external genital and anal areas, as well as teeth and mucous membrane of the oral cavity, in order to make them clean, protect them from harmful germs and keep them in good condition. They promote personal hygiene and overall health, well-being and appearance of those body parts. Toiletries form a narrower category of personal care products which are used for basic hygiene and cleanliness as a part of a daily routine. Cosmetic products, in contrast, are used for personal grooming and beautification. Pharmaceutical products are not considered personal care products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oral hygiene</span> Cleaning the mouth by brushing the teeth and cleaning in between the teeth

Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one's oral cavity clean and free of disease and other problems by regular brushing of the teeth and adopting good hygiene habits. It is important that oral hygiene be carried out on a regular basis to enable prevention of dental disease and bad breath. The most common types of dental disease are tooth decay and gum diseases, including gingivitis, and periodontitis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tongue cleaner</span> Oral hygiene device

A tongue cleaner is an oral hygiene device designed to clean the coating on the upper surface of the tongue. While there is tentative benefit from the use of a tongue cleaner it is insufficient to draw clear conclusions regarding bad breath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog grooming</span> Care and cleaning of a dog

Dog grooming refers to the hygienic care of a dog, a process by which a dog's physical appearance is enhanced for showing or other types of competition. A dog groomer is a professional responsible for maintaining a dog’s hygiene and appearance by offering services such as bathing, brushing, hair trimming, nail clipping and ear cleaning.

Hairstyling tools may include hair irons, hair dryers, hairbrushes, hair rollers, diffusers and various types of scissors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristle blasting</span> Mechanical abrasion cleaning process

Bristle blasting is a mechanical abrasion cleaning process that is performed on metallic surfaces by a brush-like rotary power tool. The tool consists of sharpened, high-carbon steel wire bristle tips that are designed with a forward-angle bend, i.e., the shank of the wire is bent in the direction of tool rotation. During operation, the rotating bristle tips are brought into direct contact with the metallic surface, whereby the bristle tips strike the surface with kinetic energy that is equivalent to processes that use grit blast media. This repeated contact of sharp bristle tips with the target surface results in localized impact, rebound, and the formation of craters, thereby simultaneously cleaning and coarsening the surface, while exposing a contamination-free base metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation and restoration of silver objects</span> Preservation of heritage collections

The conservation and restoration of silver objects is an activity dedicated to the preservation and protection of objects of historical and personal value made from silver. When applied to cultural heritage this activity is generally undertaken by a conservator-restorer.

The conservation and restoration of outdoor bronze artworks is an activity dedicated to the preservation, protection, and maintenance of bronze objects and artworks that are on view outside. When applied to cultural heritage this activity is generally undertaken by a conservator-restorer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation and restoration of taxidermy</span>

The conservation of taxidermy is the ongoing maintenance and preservation of zoological specimens that have been mounted or stuffed for display and study. Taxidermy specimens contain a variety of organic materials, such as fur, bone, feathers, skin, and wood, as well as inorganic materials, such as burlap, glass, and foam. Due to their composite nature, taxidermy specimens require special care and conservation treatments for the different materials.

References

  1. Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things. Reader's Digest. 27 November 2009. p. 29. ISBN   978-0276445699.
  2. Gould, George M. (1906). The Student's Medical Dictionary (11th ed.). Philadelphia: P. Blakiston's Son & Co. Brush. Retrieved 28 March 2021 via Internet Archive, medicalheritagelibrary collection.
  3. Jones, Charlles L. (1922). Service Station Management (Microfilm.). New York: D. Van Nostrand Company. p. 115. Retrieved 28 March 2021 via Internet Archive, ColumbiaUniversityLibraries collection.