# "chisel" brush for household cleaning? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217 "2012-03-09T01:16:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217/1 "2012-03-09T01:16:07Z")
Sometimes, when cleaning, a brush just doesn’t do the job. Often, I end up chipping crud away with a fingernail. So… Is there a “fingernail” kind of “chisel” or brush or other tool? I thought about making one out of plastic, shaving down a spatula, say… (Actually, I’m just relishing the opportunity to say “spatula,” which is one of the funniest words in the English language…) I also thought of making a kind of wedge out of soft wood, maybe a piece of pine. Say 2 inches by 9 inches, 1/4 inch thick at one end, tapering down to nothing. Again, a kind of chisel. Ideally, it won’t scratch most surfaces… The advantage of a wooden wedge is that I can dampen it, to soften it a little… Any suggestions? Does something like this exist? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217/2 "2012-03-09T01:18:07Z")
I’m thinking about those plastic paint or spackle “spreading” tools at hardware stores - usually they have a flat front edge, beveled on one side. Check the caulking or paint aisles. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217/3 "2012-03-09T01:32:07Z")
I just use an old credit card, particularly for scraping off dishes. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217/4 "2012-03-09T02:32:27Z")
Aye on the old credit card. I keep one in the junk drawer and one above the sink, for dishes. Oh and one in the laundry room for when I had a dumbass roommate who liked to wash and dry his bubble gum. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217/5 "2012-03-09T03:38:13Z")
Ooh! Old credit cards! I love this place! I love you guys! That’s just exactly the kind of magic answer I wanted! (And…I’ll also visit a hardware store and look at spackle spreader thingies.) Thank you! ETA: I love the login name **Ferret Herder**. I’ve known people who kept pet ferrets, and…yeah! ---
**Author:** ![moldmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@moldmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moldmonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217/6 "2012-03-09T05:30:57Z")
We have something like these for scrapping baked-on food off dishes. Also good for various crusty cleaning jobs > **[Amazon.com: PROGRESSIVE INT'L GT-3300 Gadget Scrapers Dishwashing Scrub, 2-Pack...](https://www.amazon.com/Progressive-GT-3300-Gadget-Scrapers-Dishwashing/dp/B00TSJSO4S)** > > Buy PROGRESSIVE INT'L GT-3300 Gadget Scrapers Dishwashing Scrub, 2-Pack: Brushes - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases Plastic putty knives are good as well. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217/7 "2012-03-10T23:19:51Z")
My Rubbermaid kitchen brush has such a scraper. So does the [Oxo Good Grips kitchen brush](http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/oxo-kitchen-brush?ID=113625&cm_mmc=Froogle-_-n-_-n-_-n): > [@](#): > > The stiff bristles are built to last, and the built-in scraper at the tip helps remove baked-on food. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217/8 "2012-03-11T00:54:12Z")
[Pampered Chef makes nylon scrapers](http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=241&categoryCode=FH) but an old credit card works well, as does a narrow plastic spackling tool as suggested above. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217/9 "2012-03-11T01:33:27Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > ETA: I love the login name **Ferret Herder**. I’ve known people who kept pet ferrets, and…yeah! Yeah, I owned ferrets for about 15 years; think of the phrase “it’s like herding cats” but add ferret personalities. 🙂 For the last two years, my husband and I have owned rabbits and we absolutely adore them, but I’ve had this handle for so long that I like it. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217/10 "2012-03-11T04:12:00Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Sometimes, when cleaning, a brush just doesn’t do the job. Often, I end up chipping crud away with a fingernail. > > So… Is there a “fingernail” kind of “chisel” or brush or other tool? > > I thought about making one out of plastic, shaving down a spatula, say… (Actually, I’m just relishing the opportunity to say “spatula,” which is one of the funniest words in the English language…) I also thought of making a kind of wedge out of soft wood, maybe a piece of pine. Say 2 inches by 9 inches, 1/4 inch thick at one end, tapering down to nothing. Again, a kind of chisel. > > Ideally, it won’t scratch most surfaces… The advantage of a wooden wedge is that I can dampen it, to soften it a little… > > Any suggestions? Does something like this exist? Oooh, Oooh, I know, I know!!! I have a set of scrapers that do this sort of thing even better than old credit cards. Go to [www.qvc.com](http://www.qvc.com) and look for K28511, Skrapr Set of 4 Large & Small Kitchen Utility Tools QVC Price: $18.75 (83 reviews) I use them for all sorts of scraping tasks and they perform beautifully. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chisel-brush-for-household-cleaning/615217/11 "2012-03-11T15:08:03Z")
Walmart has some, 79 cents. Look in the cookware area. Sickly yellow, and green. Kinda of like 1970s kitchen motif.