Brush & Jet Types for Water-Fed Pole Window Cleaning

Choosing the right brush and jet makes a huge difference to your results when using a water-fed pole. With so many styles available — flagged, unflagged, double trim, sill brushes, solar brushes and more — it can be tricky to know which option suits each type of job. This clear, simple guide explains the main bristle types and jet styles used by professional window cleaners across the UK. You’ll also find helpful information about popular ranges like Vikan and Unger nLITE, so you can pick the right tool for your daily work.

Brush Bristle Types

Q: "What is a Flagged Brush?"

Q: "What is a Flocked Brush?"

Q: "Why do I need a Flocked or Flagged Brush?"

Flagged brushes — sometimes called “flocked brushes” — have the final 8mm of each bristle split into many tiny fibres, creating a soft and gentle feel. Each bristle acts like several micro-bristles, helping you glide across delicate surfaces with minimal effort. These fine bristles reach awkward areas easily, making them ideal for detailed work. Because the fibres are so small, debris can cling to them, which means cleaning the brush takes a little more time.

Flagged brushes are ideal for:

• PVC framed windows (as long as there’s no loose or flaky paint)
• Intricate or fiddly window details
• Windows that already look fairly clean and only need a light scrub
• Sensitive surfaces such as vehicles, caravans and delicate panels

Flagged brushes can be found on this page.

Q: "What is an Unflagged Brush?"

Q: "What is an Unflocked Brush?"

Q: "Why do I need an Unflocked or Unflagged Brush?"

Unflagged brushes — also called unflocked or monofilament brushes — have smooth, straight bristles right to the tip. Because the bristle ends stay intact, these brushes offer a medium level of stiffness and excellent durability. They clean easily, even after heavy use, making them a popular everyday choice for professional window cleaners across the UK.

Unflagged brushes are ideal for:

• PVC frames (when the paint isn’t flaky)
• Wooden frames with old paint, as the bristles help remove loose flakes
• Heavily soiled windows that need a more vigorous scrub

Unflagged brushes can be found on this page.

Q: "What is a Double Trim Brush?"

Q: "Why do I need a Double Trim Brush?"

Double Trim brushes feature two different bristle lengths. The outer bristles are longer and create a “skirt” that bends outward, helping you reach corners and edges. The inner bristles are shorter, denser, and give excellent scrubbing power. This combination offers outstanding all-round performance and supports the weight of longer poles, making it one of the most versatile styles for daily work.

Double Trim brushes are ideal for:

• PVC frames (no flaky paint)
• Wooden frames, as paint flakes rinse away easily
• Mucky or heavily contaminated windows
• Long poles and high-level work where support is important
• Roof windows and skylights
• General “all-round” use

Double Trim brushes can be found on this page.

Q: "What is a Solar Brush?"

Q: "Why do I need a Solar Brush?"

Solar brushes use soft bristles made from materials that protect the fragile coatings on solar panels. They clean effectively without scratching the surface, making them an essential tool when working on solar arrays or photovoltaic installations.

Solar brushes are ideal for:

• Cleaning solar panels safely and efficiently

Solar brushes can be found on this page.

Q: "What is a Windowsill Brush?"

Q: "Why do I need a Windowsill Brush?"

Windowsill brushes feature bristles set at two angles: one set cleans the glass, and the other reaches down to scrub the sill. This two-in-one design gives you complete window cleaning in one pass. They’re larger, heavier, and cost a little more, but they save a huge amount of time when you need to clean frames, sills and surrounding areas all at once.

Windowsill brushes are ideal for:

• Cleaning full windows including frames and sills
• Door frames, window surrounds and gutter splash boards
• Shopfronts, signs and surfaces with tricky shapes

Windowsill brushes can be found on this page.

DuPont Bristle Technology

DuPont bristles are widely used in premium water-fed pole brushes because they offer a perfect blend of stiffness, durability and controlled glide. Made from high-grade nylon filaments, DuPont bristles resist wear far better than standard synthetics, which makes them excellent for professional window cleaners who work long hours. They provide stronger scrubbing power than soft flagged bristles, yet still move smoothly across glass thanks to their engineered taper and consistent filament shape. This makes DuPont-equipped brushes ideal for properties with moderate to heavy dirt levels, first cleans, deeper frame work and commercial jobs where reliability matters. Many cleaners choose DuPont because the bristles hold their form longer, giving a consistent feel and predictable cleaning performance week after week.

Best for:

• Commercial and domestic first cleans
• Medium to heavy dirt build-up
• Frames, sills and general-purpose scrubbing
• Professionals wanting long-lasting, stable bristles

Dome-Shaped Brushes

Dome brushes use a curved ultra-radius stock and a wide-angle bristle layout, giving you exceptional coverage on large, flat or awkwardly shaped surfaces. The outer splayed bristles expand the cleaning footprint, allowing you to cover more glass with every pass, while the extra-stiff side bristles provide the scrubbing power needed for deep cleaning on cladding, conservatories and large panes. When you apply pressure, the shorter inner bristles engage and help break down stubborn dirt, giving you a powerful combination of glide and aggression. The design makes dome brushes ideal for cleaners who want fast, efficient results on wide surface areas without losing control at height.

Key Features

• Wide-angle bristle spread for maximum glass coverage
• Dual-trim design with shorter inner bristles that activate under pressure
• Extra-stiff side bristles for aggressive scrubbing power
• Hot or cold water compatible
• Ideal for large panes, cladding, conservatories and similar surfaces
• Approx. weight: 500g (with hose & fittings)
• Width: 15" / 38cm including bristles

Vikan Water-Fed Pole Brushes

Vikan is one of the most trusted brush manufacturers in the cleaning industry, known for producing exceptionally durable, smooth-gliding brushes with consistent build quality. Their water-fed pole brushes are widely used across the UK by professionals who want reliable performance on glass, frames, cladding and vehicles. Vikan focuses heavily on ergonomics, bristle engineering and controlled water flow, making their brushes suitable for both everyday work and demanding commercial jobs.

The range includes Soft and Stiff bristle setups, along with specialist brushes shaped for vehicles, food-safe environments and large facades. Vikan’s long-standing reputation comes from their ability to combine comfort, cleaning power and longevity in a single tool.

Vikan Soft Brushes

Vikan soft brushes use gentle, flexible synthetic bristles designed for smooth, scratch-free cleaning. They offer excellent glide and even water distribution, which helps when working on delicate surfaces or when speed matters. These brushes are light, easy to handle and excellent for daily maintenance cleans where you want a soft touch without sacrificing efficiency.

Best for:

• Delicate surfaces including coated frames and plastics
• Vehicle and caravan cleaning
• Routine maintenance cleans where glide matters more than aggression

Vikan Stiff Brushes

Stiff Vikan brushes are built for demanding cleaning tasks where you need strong agitation. The firmer bristles cut through stubborn dirt, algae and heavier contamination with ease. These brushes work well on industrial sites and exterior surfaces that see heavy weathering. Despite their strength, they remain stable and comfortable to use thanks to Vikan’s balanced head designs.

Best for:

• cladding and industrial surfaces

Unger nLITE Water-Fed Pole Brushes

The Unger nLITE brush range is one of the most advanced brush systems available for professional window cleaners who use pure water. Designed to pair with Unger’s nLITE carbon and HiMod poles, these brushes combine clever bristle engineering, excellent water distribution and superb handling at height. Every nLITE brush includes Unger’s Soft Touch bumpers to protect frames, and many models feature a 180° swivel function for fast, smooth “S-motion” cleaning on large panes or when operating from a lift or platform.

The main nLITE brush styles are the Soft Brush, Power Brush and Hybrid Brush. Each one is designed for specific surfaces and levels of dirt, making it easier to choose the right tool for your daily workload.

Unger nLITE Soft Brush

The nLITE Soft Brush is the gentlest option in the range and is ideal for sensitive surfaces such as painted frames, coated plastics and delicate signage. It uses short, dense, highly flexible flagged bristles that glide easily while still removing everyday dirt. This makes it a popular choice for maintenance cleans where you want efficiency without risking damage. The shorter bristle length is perfect for flat glass but can be less effective in deep frames or recessed areas.

Best for:

• Delicate surfaces including painted or coated frames
• Plastic signs and soft PVC
• Regular maintenance cleans

Unger nLITE Power Brush

The nLITE Power Brush is Unger’s most versatile general-purpose water-fed brush. It uses unflagged bristles with Power Bristle Technology, combining two bristle lengths: longer outer bristles that glide smoothly and shorter inner bristles that give strong scrubbing performance. This dual-trim layout delivers excellent cleaning power without feeling heavy on the pole and is often compared to the feel of premium natural-hair brushes.

Best for:

• General glass cleaning
• Everyday scrubbing on commercial and domestic properties
• Window cleaners who want a balance between glide and power

Unger nLITE Hybrid Brush

The nLITE Hybrid Brush is designed for stubborn dirt, initial cleans and solar panel cleaning. It blends outer natural bristles (wild boar hair) for exceptional scrubbing strength with inner synthetic bristles for smooth gliding and reduced drag. This combination produces impressive cleaning power without the full weight of a solid natural-hair brush. The Hybrid is extremely effective against bird mess, snail trails and other baked-on grime, though many professionals reserve it for first cleans to extend its lifespan.

Best for:

• Heavily soiled glass and frames
• Solar panel cleaning
• Initial cleans and deep cleans
• Stubborn marks such as bird mess, snail trails and algae

Key Features Across All nLITE Brushes

• Superior water distribution – a central jet block and optional rinse bar deliver strong, targeted rinsing across the full width of the brush.
• 180° Swivel Function – when the Swivel Lock is released, the brush head moves freely, helping you work faster with less strain.
• Soft Touch Bumpers – reduce noise and protect window frames from scuffs or marks.
• Optimised compatibility – all current nLITE brushes are designed for Unger’s V2 poles (older V1 brushes do not fit the new heads).

Jet Types

A plain brush can scrub the surface, but it won’t clean effectively as part of a water-fed pole system without the correct jets. Jets direct pure water to the glass, helping you loosen dirt and rinse it thoroughly. The two main jet types are Pencil Jets and Fan Jets, each suited to different cleaning styles and different types of glass.

Q: "What is a Pencil Jet?"

Q: "Why do I need a Pencil Jet?"

Pencil Jets have a small round hole that produces a tight, concentrated stream of water — similar to the thickness of a pencil lead. This focused jet helps you rinse dirt directly from the path of the brush and is particularly effective for general window cleaning.

Useful information about Pencil Jets:

• Excellent for everyday rinsing and scrubbing
• Not the best choice for hydrophobic/self-cleaning glass (explained here)
• Usually made from brass or plastic
• Available in different hole sizes:
  • Small holes = stronger jet but less water volume
  • Larger holes = softer jet but more water delivered

Jets can be found on this page.

Q: "What is a Fan Jet?"

Q: "Why do I need a Fan Jet?"

Fan Jets use a thin slotted opening that creates a wide fan-shaped spray. This fine mist spreads across the glass, improving rinsing performance and making them the preferred choice for hydrophobic glass and modern “self-cleaning” coatings.

Useful information about Fan Jets:

• Ideal for hydrophobic/self-cleaning glass surfaces
• Commonly manufactured in brass or plastic

Jets can be found on this page.

Understanding the differences between each brush type and jet style helps you work faster, clean more effectively and avoid problems on tricky surfaces. Whether you prefer soft flagged bristles, tougher unflagged styles, versatile double trims or specialised tools like solar and sill brushes, the right choice will always depend on the frame, glass type and level of dirt. Brands like Vikan and Unger nLITE also offer excellent, reliable options for professionals who need consistent results day after day. With the correct setup, your water-fed pole system becomes smoother, more efficient and far easier to use — helping you deliver clean, streak-free windows on every job.