The Viral Spin Scrubber Is the Worst Cleaning Tool We’ve Ever Tested

I should have realized things weren’t going to turn out well when I discovered that the Leebein spin scrubber didn’t come with assembly instructions or any written guidelines about how to use the machine. I improvised until the different parts fit together, but I was still unsure if I had constructed it correctly. The Labigo spin scrubber was thankfully much easier to figure out, but I then needed to allow each machine to charge for around three hours.

Before using a spin scrubber, I thought the presence of soap bubbles meant I was getting something clean. But even though each scrubber created copious amounts of foam, bits of dried-on soap and my faux hard water stains did not budge.

Worse, the spin scrubbers created even more of a mess than I started out with. These machines didn’t have splash guards, so they sprayed all over the place, similar to using an electric hand mixer in a too-shallow bowl. Areas that hadn’t needed cleaning to begin with—including my pants and shoes—suddenly became splattered with droplets.

The handles of the Labigo and Leebein spin scrubbers don’t have a grippy texture, and the smooth surfaces on both quickly became slippery as I worked on the shower walls and sink. I needed to hold on tight with both hands, and if I lost concentration or my hand became fatigued, the brush would spin out from where I wanted it to be.

When I lengthened the extendable handle to use the brush head on the floor of the shower, restraining the spin scrubber became even more difficult. Because these machines are inherently top-heavy, and that top is moving, the device is difficult to control.

My palms started to ache within a few minutes of use due to the effort it took to manipulate the roving machines. I had to take multiple breaks to give myself hand massages. The Labigo and Leebein spin scrubbers claim to last about 90 minutes after being fully charged, but each became slower and less forceful over the course of my attempts to clean. I finally gave up.

Switching to a sponge, I was able to clean the quadrants I’d saved for it in five minutes. The sink’s scrub time took less than a minute with the sponge but more than two minutes using the Labigo and the Leebein tools in their handheld mode.

One of the miracles of a sponge: I easily rinsed out the Scotch-Brite sponge whenever it got dirty while cleaning. But the Labigo spin scrubber has a yellow sticker warning you not to submerge the brush head. The Leebein scrubber’s online instructions also warn owners against submerging the brush head in water. Trying to dip the ends of the spin scrubber brush in water without getting the whole head wet is tedious, and slip-ups seem inevitable.

When we have a particularly bad experience with an item we’re testing, we contact the company to give them a chance to comment. I reached out to both Labigo and Leebein about the tendency of their tools to spray droplets everywhere, and Leebein simply confirmed what I’d found: “Yes, that happens on all the electric spin scrubbers on the market,” wrote its representative.

This isn’t true—deputy editor Annemarie Conte recently washed some dirty dishes using the Dremel Versa Power Scrubber, which comes with a retractable splash guard.

“I found its splash guard to be effective in keeping water contained while cleaning,” she said. “In fact, one time when I accidentally didn’t use the splash guard, I covered myself in gross sink water.” Although she doesn’t think most people need a Versa, she said that if you already own one and like using it, the Scrub Daddy sponge pads are a nice addition. Unfortunately, the Versa does not come with an extendable handle, so it isn’t fully comparable with the spin scrubbers you might see on TikTok.

Labigo did not get back to us at the time of publication.

I reached out to Patricia Gentile, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at New York University before I started testing to learn what I should be looking for as I evaluated the ergonomics of these cleaning tools.

She told me that the best practice when using any kind of cleaning tool is to keep whatever you’re lifting or moving as close to you as possible. But spin scrubbers position the heavy, moving brush head at the end of the handle, so it’s difficult to control.

On the other hand, Gentile said some people with arthritis or other joint problems might appreciate the big handles on spin scrubbers. If someone were to purchase one of these machines in an attempt to alleviate any pain that comes with cleaning, she thinks handles with interchangeable or telescoping grips are the better bet so that people can choose what feels right for them.

We were curious how a spin scrubber from a brand that makes a few of our favorite tools—including some of our handheld vacuum and string trimmer picks— performed, so we also ordered the Ryobi 18V One+ Telescoping Power Scrubber Kit, which has a handle that ranges from 38 to 51 inches.

This scrubber is primarily for use on outdoor projects, like cleaning tires on a car or the sides of houses, but it can be used for indoor chores as well. We found that it cleaned the shower floor more smoothly and efficiently than the other devices, but we had a hard time getting into corners due to its single large brush head.

Since it did so much better than the Labigo and Leebein spin scrubbers, we plan to perform more tests with it to see how it handles large, tougher outdoor chores, particularly compared with a pressure washer.

When it comes to sinks and showers, you’re better off with a tool that you can bend or scrunch, run flat along a smooth surface, or pinch in between fingertips to get into a crevice—one that you don’t have to charge before using or dedicate significant cabinet real estate to housing. The malleability of a sponge allows you to distribute cleaning products exactly where you need them, easily wipe away residue, and put in extra elbow grease where needed.

Save time, money, storage space, and inevitable landfill real estate by avoiding electric spin scrubbers.

This article was edited by Joshua Lyon and Harry Sawyers.