Ryobi 18V ONE+ Compact Power Scrubber R18CPS-0

Not cheap, but well worth considering in particular if you already have some Ryobi 18+ batteries and a charger – Minor grumbles: * Although it shows three types of heads on the box, it says in fine print that two of them are optional extras ie it only comes with the one green 'medium' brush. * This is also a 'skin only' tool, meaning you need to buy or already have a suitable battery and charger * Once the battery is installed, you cannot tell the battery… Read more

charge. * Even with a small 2A battery, the scrubber weighs well over 1.5kg. Because of the size and weight, it is a bit awkward to use and might get tiring if you want to use it for an extended period. I suspect the version on a pole would be even harder to use, so I'm glad I got the hand held version even though it means I may need to use a ladder sometimes. * The brush spins a lot slower than I assumed it would, and there's no ability to change the speed.

The good: * It seems well made, and comes with a long warranty - 4 years standard, plus an extra 2 years making it 6 years if you register online. Being plastic it might not enjoy being dropped on hard surfaces, which no doubt would not be covered by the warranty, so I'd be careful about that. * It did a great job on the first task I used it on - cleaning the winter dirt buildup at the waterline of a fibreglass pool. Basically I sprayed in sections the sides with a (pool safe) cleaner, and applied the brush and moved slowly along. Took maybe fifteen minutes to clean the walls, and did a better job than an hour done manually with a brush. * It appears to be pretty efficient with power usage - after using it in the pool, the 2.0A battery was still showing a full charge.

I haven't used it on anything else yet, but can see it being useful in the bathroom. I'd probably get the optional softer head or microfibre kit though to do the glass as the medium head might risk scratching glass.

As an aside - Having used similar housings for cameras etc, I'd recommend ensuring that the rubber grommet around the battery casing is totally clean to reduce the risk of water getting in. Do carefully wash the brush with clean water after use, in particular if used around liquid with chemicals in it such as a pool, and - if at all possible - allow it to dry completely before opening the battery case. Note that it is IPX7 rated, meaning it "Withstands incidental exposure to water of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes" and is suitable for "splashes, rain or snow, showering" - so even though it would likely survive, I'd be cautious about submerging it in the pool.