A pipe cleaner is a short, fuzzy wire covered in soft bristles. People bend it to scrub the inside of tobacco pipes, but today it’s mostly used for crafts and quick fixes around the house.
In everyday life, you’ll see kids twist pipe cleaners into animal shapes, parents use them to unclog sink nozzles, and teachers hand them out for art projects. They’re cheap, colorful, and easy to bend, so they turn up everywhere—from Christmas ornaments to makeshift phone stands.
Meaning & Usage Examples
Meaning: a bendable, bristled stick originally made for cleaning pipes.
Examples:
– “I grabbed a pipe cleaner to fish the lint from my headphone jack.”
– “We made little monsters out of googly eyes and pipe cleaners.”
Context / Common Use
Craft stores sell pipe cleaners in rainbow packs, while hardware stores still stock plain ones for cleaning. Because they hold their shape, they’re handy for tying plants to stakes or threading through tight spaces when you need a quick hook or handle.
Is a pipe cleaner only for pipes?
No. Most people now use them for crafts, cleaning small parts, or even organizing cables.
What materials are pipe cleaners made of?
They have a metal wire core wrapped in short nylon or polyester bristles, giving them their fuzzy feel and flexibility.
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