Until the Barbell Rescue brush came along there was nothing like it.

Closest thing to it was Hybrid Athletics’ 360 degree nylon brush that covers about half the diameter of a barbell shaft.

Barbell Rescue’s brush gives you 335 – 360 degrees of coverage so you can get your bar’s knurling clean with less brush strokes.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

The Barbell Rescue brush comes in a cool cylindrical cardboard package.

After removing the lid the barbell brush comes wrapped in plastic.

It also comes with instructions on how to replace brush inserts and how to clean your barbell using the brush.

First Impressions

The Barbell Rescue brush feels solid.

Its outside is rubber so you can get a good grip on it.

On one half there’s hinges.

I was surprised to see that they are spring loaded and keep the shell shut.

Never knew it was springy from all the videos I had seen online.

The other half has off set lips to make it easy to open up and wrap around a barbell.

Once I opened up the brush, I saw all the sets of bristles.

There’s 46 sets of bristles on every blue insert.

Between the two inserts you have 92 sets of bristles cleaning a barbell at once.

The inserts snap on to the inside of the shell securely.

You can take them off by pulling on them and snap them back to replace them.

Out of the shell you can see the bristles are set up in a zig zag pattern.

Smart design cause that will cover a bigger surface area.

Features

Compatible with most barbells: Fits standard male and female size barbells

Barbell coverage: Covers 335 – 360 degrees of barbell shaft so you clean more in less time

Nylon bristles: Firm enough to remove chalk and grime off the bar but gentle to protect its coating

Elevated edges: Edges keep chalk inside the brush so less falls on the floor

Double hinge springs: Brush clamps on to the barbell so it doesn’t fall off while cleaning

Inserts

The inserts have seven rows with seven sets of firm bristles on each row.

Other Barbell Brushes

Hybrid Athletics 360 Nylon Brush

Hybrid Athletics sells the 360 Nylon Brush.

They sell it with nylon, brass, and steel bristles.

This same brush is also sold by Rogue and PRx Performance.

The backside of the brush is rubber.

When wrapped around a barbell, the 360 brush covers about half of the barbell shaft.

Barbell Rescue added a bigger coverage area to make cleaning faster and with less effort.

Barbell Cleaning Kits

Rogue Barbell Cleaning Kit

The Rogue barbell cleaning kit comes with a Rogue branded wooden handle nylon bristle brush and 3-in-1 oil.

Nothing fancy besides the Rogue name stamped on the handle 🙂

PRx Performance Barbell Cleaning Kit

PRx Performance includes the 360° Nylon Barbell Brush in their kit.

They include 3-in-1 oil and a 12″ x 12″ microfiber towel.

Bells of Steel Barbell Cleaning Kit

The Bells of Steel Barbell cleaning kit includes 1 curved brass bristle brush, 1 aerosol can of food-grade formula 600 spray, 1 – 12”x12” microfiber towel.

This kit brings everything but the brush is flat so it’s not going to be as quick a process as a brush that wrap around the barbell.

How to Clean a Barbell

Wrap the Barbell Rescue brush around the barbell shaft.

Get a good grip on the brush and move it back and forth horizontally while rotating it around the barbell shaft.

That should get most of the caked up chalk, grime , and rust off the barbell knurling.

If it doesn’t remove everything, add 3-in-1 oil to the barbell, and scrub it with the brush again.

Repeat as needed depending on the condition of your barbell.

Wipe off any excess oil with a dry towel or cloth.

How to Clean Rust Off A Barbell

To clean rust off a barbell start with the Barbell Rescue brush.

Start off with the brush alone, then add some 3-in-1 oil.

You might need some elbow grease depending on the amount of rust on your bar.

If you still have a lot of rust on the bar, you may need to get a steel bristle brush.

It may mess up the coating on your barbell but if you have that much rust, it really doesn’t matter.

Does The Barbell Rescue Brush Work On Dumbbells?

After using it on my barbells, I got to thinking…

Will the Barbell Rescue brush also work on dumbbells?

I tried the brush on my JaxJox adjustable dumbbells and as you can tell from the pics, there’s no room to move the brush horizontally.

For dumbbells you’re better off using a brush like the one sold with the Rogue barbell cleaning kit.

What I Like

Construction: Well built, feels solid all around

Coverage area: 92 sets of firm bristles cover a lot of surface area so you can clean barbells fast

Spring loaded shell: Keeps the brush on the barbell at all times

Inserts: When the brush bristles wear down they can be replaced and you can continue using the shell

Nylon bristles: Nylon bristles will not scrape off your barbell’s coating like steel bristles do

What I Don’t Like

The Barbell Rescue brush should come as a kit including oil and a rag so everything needed to clean my barbell is in one package.

That way I don’t have go to different places to put all the pieces together.

This could also be good to bundle with gym chalk like the Grit Stick which doesn’t take up much space.

Where to Buy The Barbell Rescue Brush

Initially, Barbell Rescue was only sold at their official website.

But it looks like they’re starting to be carried at other fitness websites.

I’ve seen them on Bare Steel Equipment, Kabuki Strength, and Spud Inc.

Barbell Rescue Coupon Code

Here’s how to get a discount on a Barbell Rescue brush.

NOTE: This coupon code only works at their official website.

Click here and use coupon code SHREDDED for a 10% discount.