| A pipe cleaner
is a type of brush intended for cleaning smoking
pipes. A typical pipe cleaner is made of two or
three lengths of wire about 6 to 12 inches long,
twisted together with bristles of some absorbent
material, usually cotton. This helical shape allows
the pipe cleaner to translate twisting into linear
force - much like an auger. Sometimes bristles
of stiffer material are added to better scrub
out pipes. Unlike many other brushes, pipe cleaners
have no handle. They resemble thin, fuzzy pencils.
Pipe cleaners are useful for cleaning many other things besides
pipes. Children are quite fond of bending pipe
cleaners into various shapes and for this reason,
one may find pipe cleaners at craft stores. However,
these are usually made with nylon bristles or
some other non-absorbent material and are frequently
longer, thicker, and available in many different
colors.
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