Started brushing my flue with a poly brush instead of the old wire one, and the creosote came off in sheets
I picked up a poly brush from my supplier in Dayton 3 months ago mostly because my shoulder was killing me after every wire brush job. First sweep with it on a wood stove flue, the creosote came down in big flakes instead of that fine black dust that goes everywhere. Took me 25 minutes instead of the usual 45 and the customer actually commented that her living room didn't smell like a campfire after. Wire brush guys, have you switched or are you still fighting with the stiff bristles?
The part about the customer's living room not smelling like a campfire is the piece nobody talks about. That smell is from the fine dust going airborne and settling into carpets and furniture. When a wire brush spins, it doesn't just knock creosote loose, it turns it into powder that floats through the whole house. Poly bristles grab and pull the stuff down in chunks so way less of it ever gets in the air. Most guys only think about speed and shoulder pain, but the dust difference alone is worth the switch.