This item
Wire Brush / Steel Wool Ball
- Wire brush has a handle and metal bristles
- Steel-wool ball is a handle-free metal coil or mesh
- Both require surface-compatibility checking
Cleaning products
Wire Brush / Steel Wool Ball
One page covering two metal-abrasive variants: a handled wire-bristle brush and a handle-free coil or mesh ball.
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3 identity clues
- Wire brush has a handle and metal bristles
- Steel-wool ball is a handle-free metal coil or mesh
- Both require surface-compatibility checking
Names in other languages
- 繁體中文
- 鋼絲刷／鋼絲球
- English
- Wire Brush / Steel Wool Ball
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Sikat Kawat / Bola Wol Baja (鋼絲刷／鋼絲球)
- Tagalog
- Wire Brush / Steel Wool Ball (鋼絲刷／鋼絲球)
Name in Cantonese (Jyutping): gong3 si1 caat3 / gong3 si1 kau4 No Cantonese voice on this device
What is it?
A wire brush and a steel-wool or metal scourer ball are different shapes but both expose metal as the rubbing surface. Abrasiveness, metal type and surface suitability are product-specific.
How to identify it
Variant A has a handle and rows of metal bristles. Variant B is a handle-free coil or mesh of metal wire. Visible metal separates both from a non-metal scouring pad.
Common confusion
Compare
Scouring Pad
- Non-metal abrasive fibre layer
- May be a separate pad or attached to a sponge
- Abrasiveness and surface suitability come from the product instructions
Compare
General Cleaning Brush
- Short hand grip
- Compact general-surface head
- Dense non-metal bristles
How to identify it
A scouring pad is non-metal fibre; a wire brush has metal bristles, and a steel-wool ball is a metal-wire bundle. All may scratch. A general cleaning brush has non-metal bristles; a wire brush or steel-wool ball is metallic and also differs from a fibre scouring pad.
Common Hong Kong household uses
Scrubbing stubborn soil only where the tool and surface instructions permit.
Choosing & preparing
Use protection required by the label, test gently in a hidden area and check for loose wire.
Storage
Clean and dry fully, separate from food utensils and replace if wire loosens, deforms or rusts.
Helper tip
Do not use on non-stick coatings, glass, paint or high-gloss finishes unless both tool and surface instructions permit it.
What Ma’am or Sir may say
先試吓鋼絲球會唔會刮花。The employer wants a small test because a metal abrasive must not be assumed safe for the surface.
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Sources (5)
- Bahco — 782-U General Purpose Utility Wire Brush with Wooden Handle
- 3M — Scotch-Brite Stainless Steel Scrubber 83 84 and 84CC Technical Data Sheet
- Health Canada — Have You Inspected Your Wire Barbecue Brush Lately
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong Humanum Research Centre — Cantonese Pronunciation Dictionary
- The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong — Jyutping Romanization Scheme