Type “Sunday refresh” or “Clean-Tok” into a social media search bar, and you’ll uncover an endless stream of videos featuring people wiping away layers of dust, dried spills, grease, and other types of grime.
The clips are, at their best, a form of art. At their worst, they’re just escapist diversions. Either way, they don’t always portray what cleaning is really like.
Nothing highlights the disconnect between social media and reality more than the electric spin scrubber. In videos, these gadgets churn out rings of soap suds, suggesting they’re removing all the dirt underneath.
But after spending six hours trying to scrub a soap-scum-coated shower and toothpaste-encrusted sink using two highly-rated spin scrubbers, I discovered that their cleaning capability is superficial. I created mounds of suds but barely removed any of the embedded grime. These devices are also awkward to hold, and after multiple unsuccessful cleaning attempts, I gained a renewed appreciation for sponges.
Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge
A spin scrubber is essentially a rotating brush head attached to an elongated handle. Some models are handheld only, but I was particularly interested in trying ones with extendable handles. I wanted a single tool to clean both the crevices right in front of my face and the shower floor, hoping it would spare me the discomfort of bending down to scrub.
After scrolling through countless social media clips and online product listings, then researching six of the most popular spin scrubbers, I decided to test the Labigo Electric Spin Scrubber and the Leebein Electric Spin Scrubber.
Both have stellar ratings on Amazon, each with over 10,000 reviews and glowing recommendations on social platforms. They come with extendable handles (ranging from approximately 26 to 45 inches and 12 to 54 inches, respectively), rechargeable batteries, and several brush-head attachments. With these features, I was optimistic they could tackle the range of cleaning tasks they claimed to handle, starting with a bathroom.
To prepare, I coated a walk-in shower with homemade hard water by boiling Epsom salt in a pot. I also grated some soap into the mixture to mimic a layer of soap scum and poured the blend directly onto the shower walls and floor, where it dried into a crust overnight. Using painter’s tape, I divided the surfaces into sections so I could compare the performance of the two spin scrubbers with our control tool: the simple sponge.
I also created a mess in a bathroom sink by gargling and spitting toothpaste all over the basin without rinsing, allowing it to dry into a hardened layer.
Assembly Required, But No Instructions
I should have known things weren’t going to go smoothly when I realized the Leebein spin scrubber didn’t include assembly instructions or any written directions on how to use the device. I had to improvise, fitting the various components together until they seemed to align, though I wasn’t entirely confident I had assembled it correctly.
The Labigo spin scrubber, thankfully, was much more straightforward to put together. However, I still had to wait for each machine to charge for about three hours before I could start cleaning.
A Sudsy, Spluttery Mess
Before trying a spin scrubber, I used to believe that the presence of soap suds meant something was being cleaned. However, although both scrubbers generated a generous amount of foam, the bits of dried-on soap and my simulated hard water stains remained stubbornly in place.
Even worse, the spin scrubbers ended up creating a bigger mess than I had started with. These devices lacked splash guards, so they sprayed soap and water everywhere—much like using an electric hand mixer in a bowl that’s too shallow. Areas that didn’t need cleaning in the first place—including my pants and shoes—suddenly ended up splattered with soapy droplets.
The handles of the Labigo and Leebein spin scrubbers lack a textured grip, and their smooth surfaces quickly became slippery as I worked on the shower walls and sink. I had to grip them tightly with both hands, and if I lost focus or my hand grew tired, the brush would spin out of position.
When I extended the handle to use the brush head on the shower floor, controlling the spin scrubber became even more challenging. The devices are inherently top-heavy, and with the brush head spinning, they were difficult to manage.
Within minutes of use, my palms began to ache from the effort required to keep the machines in check. I had to pause several times to massage my hands. Although the Labigo and Leebein scrubbers claim to last around 90 minutes on a full charge, both started losing speed and power as I struggled to clean. Eventually, I gave up.
Switching to a sponge, I was able to clean the sections I had set aside for it in just five minutes. The sink, which had taken over two minutes with the Labigo and Leebein in handheld mode, was spotless in under a minute with the sponge.
A Cleaning Machine That You Can’t Get Wet
One of the wonders of a sponge: I could easily rinse out the Scotch-Brite sponge whenever it became dirty during cleaning. In contrast, the Labigo spin scrubber has a yellow sticker cautioning against submerging the brush head. Similarly, the Leebein scrubber’s online instructions advise users not to immerse the brush head in water.
Trying to dip just the tips of the spin scrubber’s brush into water without soaking the entire head is painstaking, and accidents feel almost unavoidable.
The Company Response
When we have an especially disappointing experience with a product we’re testing, we reach out to the company to give them an opportunity to respond. I contacted both Labigo and Leebein regarding their tools’ tendency to spray droplets everywhere. Leebein’s representative simply confirmed my findings: “Yes, that happens on all the electric spin scrubbers on the market,” they wrote.
This statement isn’t accurate. Deputy editor Annemarie Conte recently cleaned some dirty dishes using the Dremel Versa Power Scrubber, which features a retractable splash guard.
“I found the splash guard to be effective at keeping water contained during cleaning,” she noted. “In fact, one time when I accidentally didn’t use the splash guard, I ended up covered in gross sink water.” While she doesn’t think most people need a Versa, she did mention that if you already own one and enjoy using it, the Scrub Daddy sponge pads make a great addition. However, the Versa lacks an extendable handle, so it’s not directly comparable to the spin scrubbers popularized on TikTok.
A Fundamentally Flawed Design
Before beginning my tests, I consulted Patricia Gentile, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at New York University, to understand what to prioritize when assessing the ergonomics of cleaning tools.
She explained that the best practice for using any cleaning tool is to keep whatever you’re lifting or moving as close to your body as possible. However, spin scrubbers place the heavy, spinning brush head at the end of a long handle, making them harder to manage and control.
That said, Gentile pointed out that individuals with arthritis or other joint issues might benefit from the large handles on spin scrubbers. For anyone considering one of these devices to reduce the discomfort associated with cleaning, she recommended choosing a model with interchangeable or telescoping grips. These allow users to adjust the handle to a position that feels most comfortable for them.
What About Spin Scrubbers For Outdoor Projects?
Curious to see how a spin scrubber from a brand behind some of our favorite tools—including picks for handheld vacuums and string trimmers—would perform, we also tested the Ryobi 18V One+ Telescoping Power Scrubber Kit. This model features a handle adjustable from 38 to 51 inches.
While primarily designed for outdoor tasks like cleaning car tires or house siding, the Ryobi scrubber can also be used for indoor cleaning. We found it cleaned the shower floor more effectively and with greater ease than the other devices we tested. However, its single large brush head made it difficult to reach into corners.
Since it outperformed the Labigo and Leebein scrubbers, we plan to conduct additional tests to evaluate its performance on larger, tougher outdoor cleaning projects, especially compared with a pressure washer.
Stick With A Sponge
For cleaning sinks and showers, it’s more effective to use a tool that you can bend, scrunch, or run flat along a smooth surface, or even pinch between your fingertips to reach into tight crevices—one that doesn’t require charging before use or take up valuable cabinet space. The flexibility of a sponge lets you apply cleaning products exactly where they’re needed, effortlessly wipe away residue, and apply extra effort where it counts.
Save time, money, storage space, and reduce your environmental impact by steering clear of electric spin scrubbers.