Wire brush or nylon patio cleaner
Updated: 21.10.2026
The faster head is the one that marks a soft patio, and you usually find that out on the first slab you care about. A wire brush or nylon patio cleaner choice is the surface first, then a check that the right head is actually in the box. The [cordless joint cleaner comparison](/hub/garden-tools/cordless-joint-cleaner) holds the eight amazon.co.uk listings and prices. Products Compared used those files and public UK sources, not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The faster head is the one that marks a soft patio, and you usually find that out on the first slab you care about.
The faster head is the one that marks a soft patio, and you usually find that out on the first slab you care about. A wire brush or nylon patio cleaner choice is the surface first, then a check that the right head is actually in the box. The cordless joint cleaner comparison holds the eight amazon.co.uk listings and prices. Products Compared used those files and public UK sources, not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Brushes | Voltage | Platform | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Einhell Einhell GE-CC 18 Li kit | Nylon and steel | 18 V | Power X-Change | 9.0 | about £83.65 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Ryobi Ryobi RY18PCA-0 | Wire only | 18 V | ONE+ | 8.6 | about £83.95 | View offer |
| Best value |  Einhell Einhell GC-CC 18 Li solo | Nylon and steel | 18 V | Power X-Change | 8.2 | about £47.36 | View offer |
What steel is for
Steel is the head for robust concrete, engineering brick, and block faces that can take a scratch you will not see. Einhell’s GC-CC page points the steel brush at rugged stone and the nylon brush at scratch-sensitive floors. On the Ryobi RY18PCA-0, the included head is wire, and amazon.co.uk reviews say it marks brick.
The Weed Guy’s rule is to pick the head for the stone and to test a corner, because steel marks sandstone. A sealed or honed surface is in the same group as sandstone for this decision. The Weed Guy says a wire brush takes resin jointing out, so treat resin as a knife job, not a disc job.
What nylon is for
Nylon is the head Ryobi and Einhell specify when the face marks. Ryobi’s RAC818 is a 115 mm nylon brush for sandstone, limestone, porcelain, and slate, listed at £17.99 on uk.ryobitools.eu. Einhell’s solo page calls the nylon brush out for wood as well as for scratch-sensitive floors, with steel kept for stone. Parkside’s 20 V bullets name natural stone, concrete, tiles, wood, and wood composite, and they say the manual decides which brush.
A corner of Indian sandstone still needs a one-minute trial. If the corner clouds, stop, even though the box said nylon.
What is in the box
Einhell’s listings in this set include both heads. The solo at £47.36, the £75.95 kit, and the £83.65 kit each ship nylon and steel. Parkside at £108.99 includes both, with no battery. The Lazy-Weeder at £74.95 and Sealey’s CP108VJC at £96.47 include a metal brush and a nylon brush.
Ryobi’s RY18PCA-0 at £83.95 does not give you that choice in the parcel. The included component is one wire brush. Nylon is the RAC818, a second payment of about £15 to £18 in the reviews and £17.99 on Ryobi’s page. NETTA’s title says a steel brush and two nylon brushes, while a bullet says two 10 cm brushes, one nylon and one steel, so check the parcel.
Wear and a test corner
Both heads are consumables. An Einhell reviewer prices a replacement wire wheel at £13.52 and treats it as an Einhell-only part. The test is a hidden corner, thirty to sixty seconds, in daylight you can see. On sandstone, limestone, porcelain, or slate, that is nylon. On plain concrete slabs, steel is the faster start, and you still watch the arris. If you see a pale scratch, stop and change head. Stars on the listing do not overrule the slab in front of you.
The sequence is on how to use a cordless patio cleaner. A 115 mm nylon disc is still wider than a 3 mm block joint. The millimetres, and the sand you put back, stay on the cordless weeder for block paving page.
Common questions
Will steel scratch sandstone?
Yes, that is the pattern these sources describe. The Weed Guy says steel marks sandstone. Ryobi keeps the RAC818 nylon head for sandstone, limestone, porcelain, and slate. Einhell points steel at rugged stone and nylon at scratch-sensitive floors. Amazon reviews on the wire-only Ryobi say the included head marks brick, which is a harder face than many sandstones. Test a corner if you are unsure, and do not use the whole patio as the test.
Is nylon too weak for moss?
It is slower on moss that has compacted, and it still removes ordinary growth if you give it time. Garden-review’s table, their note rather than our test, assigns wire to compacted moss and nylon to general grime. Reviewers who switched to nylon after marking brick accepted the slower cut. If nylon only polishes the surface, the root may be the problem, and a knife will do more than a stiffer disc on a soft stone.
Does the Einhell box already include both?
Yes on these files. The £47.36 solo and both kits, at £75.95 and £83.65, list a nylon brush and a steel brush. You choose which one to fit. The spare wire wheel is the later cost: one reviewer put it at £13.52 and found it only through Einhell. Inclusion in the box is not a lifetime supply of bristles.
Does the Ryobi bare tool include nylon?
No. The RY18PCA-0 ships one wire brush. Nylon is RAC818, about £17.99 on Ryobi’s UK site and about £15 at B&Q, with reviewers paying roughly £15 to £18. Add that figure before you compare £83.95 with an Einhell solo that already includes both heads. The bare Ryobi price assumes you can live with steel or that you will order nylon beside it.
Can I use nylon on decking or wood composite?
Only where the listing says so, and still on a test board. Einhell’s solo page names nylon for wood. Parkside names wood and wood composite and tells you the manual picks the brush. Garden-review’s table keeps a wire head off decking. If your tool never mentions timber, do not assume a patio nylon disc is a deck brush. A mark on a composite board does not sand out the way concrete does.
Should I test a corner even with nylon?
Yes. Nylon is the gentler bristle, not a guarantee. Ryobi’s claim for the RAC818 is the soft-stone list above, and reviewers still report wear. A hidden corner for a minute will show haze on a sealed or soft face before you commit the terrace. If that corner marks, stop. Pressure and a steel head would only mark it faster.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures saved for this set on 19 October 2026.
- Einhell UK, GC-CC 18 Li-Solo (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Ryobi UK, RY18PCA-0 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- The Weed Guy, weeding block paving and patios (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Marshalls, how to clean block paving (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Pavingexpert, refurbishment and joints (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- RHS, weeds on hard surfaces (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE, garden pesticides (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE, using the right type of PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 19 October 2026)