Abstract:
A cover for the head of a foam brush of the type that expels foam from the head thereof includes a bag and a closure device. The bag has a continuous scrubbing surface and a side wall joined together to form an interior cavity, The bag has a mouth for allowing ingress into the interior cavity and has a plurality of foam discharge holes in side wall thereof for allowing foam to pass therethrough. The closure device is configured to close the mouth of the bag when the head of a brush is received in the interior cavity and to removably secure the bag to the head of the brush.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to co-pending provisional application Ser. No. 60/829,762 filed Oct. 17, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference. 
     
     FIELD 
       [0002]    This application relates to water permeable brush head covers and more particularly to brush head covers for foaming brushes utilized in self serve car wash facilities. 
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
       [0003]    Car wash facilities and in particular coin operated self serve car wash bays include a source of water, a source of chemicals, such as, for example, soap detergent, wax, polish, etc., a switch to select dispensing of water or soap or combinations thereof, a flexible hose leading from the sources to one end of a hollow wand or handle with an aperture or nozzle at its opposite end. The customer deposits the required coinage, and directs the selected water or soap flowing from the source through the hose and outward from the aperture or nozzle and onto the various surfaces of the car. Typically the water and soap are delivered under pressure to facilitate cleaning and rinsing of the car surface without actual contact between the wand or handle and the car surface so as to prevent scratching or marring of the finish, paint or other surfaces of the car. 
         [0004]    Most self operated car washes have installed brushes. These brushes are provided to allow frictional contact between them and the car surface allegedly to remove grime, tar and other foreign objects adhered to the car&#39;s surfaces. Typically, such brushes are attached to a source of compressed air that is dispensed through the head of the brush to provide foaming soapy water to the bristles or other scrubbing component of the brush. Various styles of foaming brushes are known, including, but not limited to foaming brushes having a head formed from a plurality of bristles held in a bristle support and foaming brushes having a rubber or sponge scrubbing element held in a scrubbing element support. In general, the term scrubbing element when used herein should be deemed to encompass the portion of a foaming brush intended to engage the surface of an item being washed and to apply frictional forces to the surface of the item being washed. Thus, unless otherwise indicated, a scrubbing element may include bristles, foam rubber elements, sponge elements, cloth strips and other items disposed in a foaming brush head and intended to engage the surface of the item being washed to facilitate loosening foreign objects from the item. To simplify the description of the foaming brush head cover disclosed herein, the cover will be described as being utilized with a brush having bristles with it being understood that such description applies equally well to a brush having some other scrubbing element. 
         [0005]    One issue related to the use of friction brushes which has plagued the car wash industry since self-serve car washes initially offered a foaming brush service option is the potential danger of damage to washed items arising from a foreign object or other substance remaining on the brush head from a prior user. As indicated above, the foreign object or other substance on the brush head can potentially harm a vehicle&#39;s finish. For example, dirt, mud, grit, brake dust, sand, salt, engine degreaser, tar, engine oil, etc. can all adhere to or otherwise contaminate or damage the bristles on a foaming brush head. In addition, the prior user may have sought to clean off-road vehicles, boats on trailers, vehicle engines, or other transportable items, introducing possible contaminants onto the brush from sources not familiar to or typically encountered by the next user. Thus, the possibility exists that some harmful foreign matter will contaminate the bristles or scrubbing element of the foaming brush and/or degrade the brush itself, either or both of which may negatively impact the painted surfaces, finish or other surfaces of the customer&#39;s vehicle by marring or scratching. When foreign matter contaminates the bristles of a brush head, some level of damage (such as scratching) to a vehicle may easily result. Obviously, damage to a customer&#39;s vehicle could create a large liability and the potential for a very unsatisfied customer for the car wash owner. 
         [0006]    Thus, owners and users of self service car wash bays, as well as their insurers, would appreciate users having access to a cover for a foaming brush head that would protect the finish of the vehicle being washed from possible damage resulting from foreign matter contamination of the brush. Users of a car wash facility would also appreciate having a cover that they could purchase at the wash and/or keep in their vehicle and used when needed and that would allow them to have the advantage of the friction created by brush use without having to worry about damage caused by foreign contaminants in the brush head causing damage to the vehicle or other object they are washing. For simplicity, and since it is preferred that the foaming brush be utilized to wash only vehicles, the object being cleaned with the foaming brush and the disclosed cover often will be referred to herein as a vehicle, it being understood that foaming brush users may utilize the foaming brush and the disclosed cover combination to wash other objects within the scope of the disclosure. 
         [0007]    The disclosed cover for foaming brush heads is configured to provide a protective cover for a foaming brush head that reduces the likelihood that contaminants on the brush head will contact the finished surface of the item being washed while allowing foaming soap, detergent and/or water (hereinafter referred to as foaming cleaning liquid or foam) from the brush head to permeate the cover. The disclosed cover is intended to be used in conjunction with a car wash that offers a foaming brush option. 
         [0008]    According to one aspect of the disclosure, a cover for a foaming brush having a head including a scrubbing member and a scrubbing support configured to allow foam to pass through the scrubbing member to a scrubbing surface of the brush having a footprint includes a flexible scrubbing panel, a flexible side wall and a closure device. The flexible scrubbing panel is configured to conform generally to the footprint of the scrubbing surface of the foaming brush and is formed from a solid sheet of material including an outwardly disposed surface having a continuous surface and texture that should not adversely affect a finished surface of an item being washed. The flexible side wall is contiguously joined at a bottom edge to a substantial portion of a peripheral edge of the scrubbing panel and cooperates with the scrubbing panel to define a substantial enclosure closed on the bottom by the scrubbing panel, substantially closed on the side by the side wall and including a top opening. The flexible side wall is configured to define one or more foam discharge holes through which foam from a foaming brush having its head disposed in an interior of the enclosure discharges to an exterior of the enclosure, permitting foam to surround the cover and flow around it when the cover is in contact with the car surface and release excess fluids within the cover and permitting the scrubbing panel to remain in close contact with the vehicle surface being cleaned. The closure device is coupled to the side wall adjacent the top opening and is configured to at least partially close the top opening when a head of a foaming brush is received in the interior of the enclosure to maintain the cover in place over the brush during the cleaning process and facilitating its removal at the end of the process. 
         [0009]    According to another aspect of the disclosure, a cover for the head of a foam brush of the type that expels foam from the head thereof is provided that also includes a bag and a closure device. The bag has a scrubbing surface and a side wall joined together to form an interior cavity. The bag has a mouth for allowing ingress into the interior cavity and has a plurality of foam discharge holes in the side wall thereof for allowing foam to pass therethrough. The closure device is configured to close the mouth of the bag when the head of a brush is received in the interior cavity and to secure the bag to the head of the brush. 
         [0010]    According to yet another aspect of the disclosure a combination includes a foam brush and a cover. The foam brush comprises a head and a handle. The head includes a scrubbing member having a scrubbing surface and a support for the scrubbing member. The handle is coupled to the head. The head is coupled through the handle to a soap/water source and configured to allow a soap/water mixture to expel foam from the scrubbing member. The cover covers the head of the foam brush and comprises a bag and a cord. The bag has a scrubbing surface and a side wall joined together to form an interior cavity holding the head of the foam brush with the scrubbing surface of the bag positioned adjacent the scrubbing surface of the brush to prevent any portion of the scrubbing surface of the brush from contacting an item being washed with the combination. The bag has a mouth through which the handle of the foam brush extends from the support of the head. The bag has a plurality of holes in the side wall thereof allowing foam from the head of the foam brush to pass therethrough. The bag is formed to include a channel adjacent the mouth. The cord extends through the channel adjacent the mouth of the bag and cooperates with the channel to form a drawstring type closure which upon pulling the cord draws the bag around the head of the foam brush and secures the bag to the head of the foam brush. 
         [0011]    Additional features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
         [0012]    The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements and in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a foaming brush cover configured for utilization with a foaming brush having a generally cylindrically shaped brush head showing the cover having a scrubbing component, a side wall component and a drawstring closure wherein textural features of the material from which the various components are formed are shown only in small areas of the drawing to facilitate easier understanding of the manner in which the cover is assembled; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view from a different perspective of the foaming brush cover of  FIG. 1  wherein textural features of the material from which the various components are formed are shown only in small areas of the drawing to facilitate easier understanding of the manner in which the cover is assembled; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the scrubbing component of the brush cover of  FIG. 1  prior to being joined to the side wall component wherein textural features of the material from which the component is formed are shown only in a small area of the drawing; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is plan view of a first component of the side wall of the brush cover of  FIG. 1  prior to being joined to the scrubbing component and the second component of the side wall wherein textural features of the material from which the component is formed are shown only in a small area of the drawing; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of a second component of the side wall of the brush cover of  FIG. 1  prior to being joined to the first component of the side wall and to itself to form a passage through which the drawstring is received wherein textural features of the material from which the component is formed are shown only in a small area of the drawing; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of the foaming brush cover of  FIG. 1  prior to attachment to the head of a foaming brush coupled to a diagrammatically represented sources of water, detergent and compressed air; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the foaming brush head cover during attachment to the head of the foaming brush of  FIG. 6 ; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the foaming brush head cover attached to the foaming brush of  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described in the following written specification. It is understood that no limitation to the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. It is further understood that the present disclosure includes any alterations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments and includes further applications of the principles of the disclosure as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. 
         [0022]    As shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1-8 , a first embodiment of the disclosed brush head cover  20  is configured to be installed over the head  14  of a foaming brush  12  at a car wash  10 . It is envisioned that a car wash patron may purchase a reusable or disposable brush cover  20  to use exclusively on their own vehicle, similar to the manner in which a car wash patron may purchase other items at the wash site from vending machines, or by purchase at automotive supply stores or departments or other retail outlets. By obtaining and using a protective cover  20  on the brush head  14  of a foaming brush  12 , the customer&#39;s vehicle is protected from contaminates and foreign matter left on the brush head  14  from a prior user of the car wash  10 . When a user utilizes the brush head cover  20  properly in conjunction with a foaming brush  12  the scrubbing panel  22  of the brush cover  20  comes in contact with the painted surface, rather than a potentially contaminated scrubbing surface  16  of the foaming brush head  14 . The user of the car wash  10  can then realize the cleaning advantage of creating friction between the cover  20  attached to the brush  12  and the item being washed at any self serve car wash site, while at the same time protecting the item being washed from a potentially damaging contaminated brush head  14 . 
         [0023]    As shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  6 - 8  brush head cover, bonnet or cap  20  is configured for use with a foaming brush  12  having a head  14  formed from a disk-shaped bristle support  15  from which bristles  17  extend substantially perpendicular to a face of the support disk  15 . A handle  19  is coupled to the head  14  of the brush  12  and to sources of water  9 , soap or detergent  11  and compressed air  13 , as shown, for example in  FIG. 6 . Thus, the brush head  14  with which the illustrated embodiment of the brush head cover  20  is intended to be used has a generally cylindrical shape. Consequently, the illustrated embodiment of the brush head cover  20  is shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  6  as having a generally cylindrical shape. However, as will be described later, the brush head cover  20  is formed from flexible materials, the brush head cover  20  is not sufficiently rigid to maintain the cylindrical shape shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  6  on its own, and can adapt to conform to oval, elliptical, hexagonal, rectangular, square and other shape brush supports and/or can be formed from geometries corresponding substantially to that of the brush support and brushes. Nevertheless, for ease of description, the brush head cover  20  will be described as being substantially cylindrical shaped, it being understood that such description encompasses such alternative configurations. 
         [0024]    The brush head cover  20  includes a scrubbing panel  22  and a two-component side wall  24  that cooperate to form a substantially cylindrical substantial enclosure with a top opening  26  communicating with an interior cavity  28  and a closure device  30  for reducing the size of the top opening  26 . The two-component side wall  24  includes a first panel  32  and a second panel  34 . The term “substantial enclosure” was utilized above, because, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the opposite ends of the panels  32 ,  34  forming the side wall  24  are not joined to each other and thus a gap  36  in the side wall  24  extends from the scrubbing panel  22  to the top opening  26 . The term bag as used herein includes a substantial enclosure. 
         [0025]    Because the illustrated brush head cover  20  is configured for use with a foaming brush  12  having a substantially cylindrical-shaped head  14  wherein the free ends of the bristles  17  form a substantially circular scrubbing surface  16 , the scrubbing panel  22  is formed from a substantially circular panel  38  of fabric, as shown, for example, in  FIG. 3 . As indicated above, it is within the scope of the disclosure for non-illustrated embodiments of brush head cover  20  which are intended for use with foaming brushes having differently configured heads which result in differently shaped scrubbing surfaces to be formed from differently shaped scrubbing panels. For example, if a cover  20  is intended to be used with a brush head  14  having a substantially rectangular scrubbing surface  16 , scrubbing panel  38  would be substantially rectangular. 
         [0026]    The material from which continuous scrubbing panel  38  is fabricated is preferably a flexible, water-permeable material having at least one surface that that has a texture that is not likely to damage the finish of a painted object. In one embodiment of foaming brush head cover  20 , panel  38  is fabricated from twelve ounce terry cloth fabric. It is within the scope of the disclosure for heavier or lighter weight terry cloth material to be used to fabricate scrubbing panel  38 . Additionally, it is with the scope of the disclosure for the scrubbing panel  38  to be fabricated with other fabrics such as lamb&#39;s wool, microfiber, chenille, and/or wooltex or for the panel  38  to be fabricated from disposable material, such as “Stitch” material. Additionally, while scrubbing panel  38  is illustrated as being formed from a single piece of material, it is within the scope of the disclosure for the scrubbing panel  38  to be formed from one or more panels joined together in a manner that will not adversely affect the finish of an item being washed or from multiple layers of material. When fabricated from multiple panels or layers, it is within the scope of the disclosure for dissimilar materials to be used to fabricate the panel  38 . In order to reduce the possibility of damage to the vehicle&#39;s surface and to maintain scrubbing surface in close contact with the vehicle surface being cleaned, scrubbing panel  38  is formed from a continuous sheet of material without the creation of slots or holes therein with edges that may fray and degrade the integrity of the scrubbing surface or abrade or mar the vehicle&#39;s surface. 
         [0027]    One embodiment of brush cover  20  is configured for use with a foaming brush  12  having a head  14  with an approximately five inch diameter  39  comprised of five inch bristles defining a scrubbing surface  16  (referred to herein as a five inch diameter brush head or scrubbing surface). Thus, the illustrated scrubbing panel  38  of cover  20  is substantially circular and has a diameter  40  greater than the diameter  39  of the scrubbing surface  16  of the brush head  14  with which it is intended to be used. The diameter  40  of the scrubbing panel  38  is greater than the diameter  39  of the scrubbing surface  16  of the brush head  14  for at least two reasons. First, the scrubbing panel  38  must be joined to the first panel  32  of side wall  24  which joining operation will result in the diameter  42  of the scrubbing surface  44  of the brush cover  20  being smaller than the diameter  40  of the scrubbing panel  38 . In the illustrated embodiment the scrubbing panel  38  is sewed to the side panel  32  forming a seam  46 . Illustratively the seam  46  is a one quarter inch seam requiring that more than a quarter inch of material radially inward from the peripheral edge  48  of the scrubbing panel  38  being utilized to form the seam  46  by folding the material adjacent the peripheral edge  48  of the scrubbing panel  38  so as to interlock with a folded bottom edge  50  of the first side panel  32 . Second, the diameter  40  of the scrubbing panel  38  is larger than the diameter  39  of the scrubbing surface  16  of the brush  12  to allow the brush head  14  to be inserted into the cavity  28  with the handle  19  extending through the opening  26  and to accommodate the increase in diameter of the scrubbing surface  16  of the brush head  14  when pressure is applied to the foaming brush  12  causing the bristles  17  to deform. 
         [0028]    In one presently preferred embodiment wherein the brush head cover  20  that is configured for utilization with a foaming brush  12  having a five inch diameter scrubbing surface  16 , the diameter  40  of the scrubbing panel  38  is approximately seven inches. This difference in diameter between the scrubbing surface  16  of the brush  12  and the scrubbing panel  38  allows the brush to be received in the cavity  28  of the cover  20  even after a portion of the scrubbing panel  38  is utilized to form the seam  46  joining the scrubbing panel  38  to the first side panel  32 . When the brush head  14  is received in the cavity  28 , the scrubbing panel  38  is positioned to be disposed between the scrubbing surface  16  of the brush  12  and the item being washed. Thus the scrubbing panel  38  prevents the scrubbing surface  16  of the brush  12  and any contaminants thereon from contacting the surface of the item being washed. 
         [0029]    In one presently preferred embodiment of cover  20 , the first side panel  32  is formed from a rectangular panel of flexible, water permeable material having at least one surface that has a texture that is not likely to damage the finish of a painted object. In one embodiment of foaming brush head cover  20 , panel  32  is fabricated from twelve ounce terry cloth fabric. It is within the scope of the disclosure for heavier or lighter weight terry cloth material to be used to fabricate first side panel  32 . Additionally, it is with the scope of the disclosure for the first side panel  32  to be fabricated with other fabrics such as lamb&#39;s wool, microfiber, chenille, and/or wooltex or for the panel  32  to be fabricated from disposable material, such as “Stitch” material. Additionally, while the first side panel  32  is illustrated as being formed from a single piece of material, it is within the scope of the disclosure for the first side panel  32  to be formed from one or more panels joined together in a manner that will not adversely affect the finish of an item being washed or from multiple layers of material. When fabricated from multiple panels or layers, it is within the scope of the disclosure for dissimilar materials to be used to fabricate the panel  32 . Preferably, panel  32  is fabricated from the same material as panel  38  in the event that there is some incidental contact between the bottom portion of first side panel  32  and the surface of the item being washed. 
         [0030]    As shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  6 - 8  and more particularly in  FIG. 4 , first side panel  32  is formed from a rectangular panel of material having a bottom edge  50 , a top edge  52 , a first end edge  54 , a second end edge  56 , an outside surface  58  and an inside surface (not visible in the drawings.) The first panel  32  has a length  60  and a width  62 . Illustratively, the length  60  of first panel  32  is approximately equal to the circumference of the scrubbing panel  38  to facilitate forming seams at each end of the panel  32  and joining the first side panel  32  to the scrubbing panel  38  while leaving a gap between opposite seamed ends of the first side panel  32  in the fully assembled brush head cover  20 . The illustrated embodiment of first side panel  32  has a width  62  that is sufficient to allow a plurality of holes  64  to be formed in the side panel  32  in a position in which the holes  64  do not interfere with the formation of the seam  46  joining the bottom edge  50  of the first side panel  32  to the scrubbing panel  38  and a seam  66  joining the top edge  52  of the first side panel  32  to a bottom edge  78  of the second side panel  34 . In the embodiment of cover  20  intended for use with a brush  12  having a five inch diameter scrubbing surface  16 , the length  60  of side panel  32  is approximately twenty-two inches and the width  62  of the first side panel  32  is approximately two and a half inches. The length  60  of first side panel  32  allows a seam  68  to be formed by folding the first end edge  54  over onto the outside surface  58  of the first side panel  32  and a seam  70  to be formed by folding the second side edge  56  over onto the outside surface  58  of the first panel  32 . In the illustrated embodiment seams  68  and  70  are both one inch seams. 
         [0031]    In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of holes  64  include ten equally longitudinally spaced holes centered between the top edge  52  and the bottom edge  50 . Each hole  64  has a diameter  72  that is less than the width  62  of the first side panel  32 . In the illustrated embodiment, the diameter  72  of each hole  64  is one half inch. Each hole  64  is displaced from its adjacent holes  64  by a displacement  74 . The end holes  64  are displaced from the adjacent edge  54 ,  56  by a displacement  76 . In the embodiment of brush head cover  20  configured for use with a five inch diameter brush  12 , the displacement  74  between adjacent holes  64  is one and a half inches while the displacement  76  between the end holes  64  and their adjacent edge  54 ,  56  is one and three quarters inches. 
         [0032]    The holes  64  in first side panel  32  are sized to allow foam (formed, for example, by combining water from a source of water  9  ( FIG. 6 ) with soap or detergent from a source of soap or detergent  11  and aerating the mixture with compressed air from a source of compressed air  13 ) to escape from the head  14  of a foaming brush  12  received in the cavity  26  of the brush head cover  20  to the exterior of the cover  20 . Foam escaping through holes  64  is disposed on the outside surface of the side wall  24  adjacent the surface of an item being washed. During utilization of a covered foaming brush combination  100 , foam may discharge through the holes  64  onto the item being washed. While ten equally spaced holes  64  are shown in the drawings, it is within the scope of the disclosure for the holes  64  to not be equally spaced or for more or fewer holes  64  to be formed in the first side panel  32 . In this manner, holes  64  also provide for release of pressure from inside cover  20  when attached to brush  12  and permit discharge of various viscosities of soap  11  and other car wash cleaning fluids (or rinsing water) from brush  12  onto the vehicle surface while also permitting scrubbing surface  38  to remain in frictional contact with the vehicle surface being cleaned. 
         [0033]    In the illustrated embodiment of cover  20 , the second side panel  34  is formed from a rectangular panel of flexible, water permeable material. In one embodiment of foaming brush head cover  20 , panel  34  is fabricated from mesh material having a large plurality of openings  77  through which foam escaping from the head  14  of a foaming brush  12  captured in the cavity  28  of the brush head cover  20  discharges. In the illustrated embodiment, the second side panel  34  is formed from multi-filament polyester mesh knit. In one specific embodiment the second side panel  34  is formed from multi-filament polyester mesh knit having one sixteenth inch openings  77  with 13×11 openings  77  per square inch. It is within the scope of the disclosure for other mesh knit material having more or fewer openings  77  per square inch and/or larger or smaller openings  77  to be used to fabricate second side panel  34 . Additionally, it is with the scope of the disclosure for the second side panel  34  to be fabricated with other mesh fabrics such as cheese cloth or from fabrics similar to those utilized to fabricate the scrubbing panel  38  and/or the first side panel  32 . Additionally, while the second side panel  34  is illustrated as being formed from a single piece of material, it is within the scope of the disclosure for the second side panel  34  to be formed from one or more panels joined together or from multiple layers of material. While it is not intended that the second side panel  34  engage the surface of the item being washed it is within the scope of the disclosure for the second side panel  34  to be fabricated from material having an outside surface that will not adversely affect the finish of an item being washed. When fabricated from multiple panels or layers, it is within the scope of the disclosure for dissimilar materials to be used to fabricate the panel  34 . Second panel  34  further provides for discharge of foaming soap (or rinsing water) from brush  12  while reducing pressure within cover  12  and assisting in maintaining scrubbing surface  38  in contact with the vehicle surface being cleaned. 
         [0034]    Foaming brushes  12  occasionally discharge foam at a rate that the foam may shoot from the head  14  of the brush  12  and be deposited on items that it was not intended to be deposited upon, such as, for example, the clothes of the user or others in the wash bay, other items in the wash bay or the wash bay itself. The mesh material from which second side panel  34  is foamed as well as the holes  64  formed in the first side panel  32  allow foam to continue to be discharged from the combination brush and cover  100 , while reducing unwanted scatter of foam throughout the wash bay. 
         [0035]    As shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  6 - 8  and more particularly in  FIG. 5 , second side panel  34  is formed from a rectangular panel of material having a bottom edge  78 , a top edge  80 , a first end edge  82  and a second end edge  84 . The second side panel  34  has a length  86  and a width  88 . Illustratively, the length  86  of second panel  34  is approximately equal to the circumference of the scrubbing panel  38  to facilitate forming seams  68 ,  70  at each end of the panel  34  while leaving a gap between opposite seamed ends of the first side panel  32  in the assembled brush head cover  20 . Likewise, length  86  of second side panel  34  is approximately equal to length  60  of first side panel  32  to facilitate joining the first side panel  32  to the second side panel at seam  66 . The illustrated embodiment of second side panel  34  has a width  88  that is sufficient to allow the formation of the seam  66  joining the top edge  52  of the first side panel  32  to the bottom edge  78  of the second side panel  34  and to form seam  90  by folding the top edge  80  over onto the inside surface of second panel  34  to form a channel for receipt of a cord  96  of the closure device  30 . In the illustrated embodiment the seam  90  is approximately two inches wide. In the embodiment of cover  20  intended for use with a brush  12  having a five inch diameter scrubbing surface  16 , the length  86  of side panel  34  is approximately twenty-two inches and the width  88  of the second side panel  34  is approximately six inches. The length  86  of second side panel  34  allows a seam  68  to be formed by folding the first end edge  82  over onto the outside surface of the second side panel  34  and a seam  70  to be formed by folding the second side edge  84  over onto the outside surface of the second panel  34 . In the illustrated embodiment seams  68  and  70  are both one inch seams. 
         [0036]    The overall length  94  of side wall  24  of cover  20  is preferably greater than the combined distance  92  of the thickness of the bristle support  15  and the exposed length of the bristles  17  of foaming brush head  14 . The overall length  94  of side wall  24  should be such that when the closure device  30  is used to close the top opening  26  after the brush head  14  is received in the cavity  28 , the cover  20  is secured to the head  14  of the foaming brush  12  with the handle  19  extending through the cinched opening. 
         [0037]    In the illustrated embodiment, the closure device  30  includes a cord  96  and a cord lock  98 . The cord  96  has a length sufficient to extend through the channel formed by the top seam  90  with both free ends of the cord extending a sufficient distance from the edges of the gap  36  to allow the cord lock  98  to be received on both ends of the cord  96  when the top opening  26  is completely open. 
         [0038]    In one preferred embodiment, the cord  96  has a length of approximately thirty inches. While cord  96  can be formed from various materials, the illustrated cord  96  is formed from one thousand pound spun polyester draw tape having a width of five-eighths inches. Thus cord  96  easily fits within and slides freely within the channel formed by the top seam  90 . 
         [0039]    The illustrated cord closure device  30  forms a drawstring closure for cinching the top opening  26  closed when the head  14  of the foaming brush  12  is received in the cavity  28 . Preferably, the overall length  94  of the side wall  24  is such that when the closure device  30  cinches the top opening  26  closed, the material adjacent the top opening is pulled across the top surface of the bristle support  15  and forms an opening large enough for the handle  19  to extend therethrough. The plastic cord lock  98  eases the tightening and loosening of the drawstring closure. While other closure devices, including drawstrings without cord locks, may be utilized within the scope of the disclosure, the cord lock  98  helps to avoid tight knots being formed in the cord  96  which might be difficult to untie with wet soapy hands in a car wash. In addition, the use of cord lock and drawstrings has been found advantageous in that the customer can generally fit cover  20  over brush  12  while handle assembly  19  is in its storage rack position along the car wash bay and avoid contact with the potentially contaminated brushes and unwanted contact with person or clothes and water or other car wash fluids. 
         [0040]    Advantageously the disclosed cover  20  for a head  14  of a foaming brush  12  when utilized with a foaming brush  12  to form a combination  100  ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ) to wash a vehicle protects the vehicle from any contaminated foreign matter left on the brush head  14  from a prior car wash user. The disclosed cover  20 , with its solid scrubbing panel  38 , places the scrubbing surface  44  of the cover  20  between the scrubbing surface  16  of the brush  12  and the item being washed to prohibit any portion of the brush head&#39;s scrubbing surface  16  from contacting the item being washed while the cover  20  is properly attached to the brush head  14 . Additionally, the disclosed cover  20  for a head  14  of a foaming brush  12  when utilized with a foaming brush  12  to form a combination  100  for washing a vehicle advantageously provides a protective cover for the foaming brush head at a car wash facility. 
         [0041]    According to one presently preferred embodiment, the scrubbing panel  22  of cover  20  comprises terry cloth material. To the extent that the terry cloth material has one surface with more piling than the other surface, those components of the cover  20  formed from the terry cloth material will preferably utilize the surface with more piling as the outside surface of the component. The scrubbing panel  22  is attached to a two component side wall  24  comprised of a terry cloth panel  32  with at least one hole  64  formed therethrough. The side wall  24  includes a mesh netting panel  34  joined to the terry cloth panel  32 . The one or more holes  64  in the terry cloth panel  32  and the plurality of openings  77  in the mesh netting panel  34  allow the thick high lubricity or viscosity brush soap to spill out of the brush head cover  20  onto the surface of the item being washed. The illustrated brush head cover  20  can fit over a round brush head  14  like a shower cap. The cord  96  is slidably received in a channel formed by a seam  90  adjacent the top opening  26  of the cover  20 . The drawstring or closer  96  is pulled tight and is held onto the brush head  14  by a small plastic fastener  98 . Thus, the disclosed cover  20  is configured to be easily applied to and removed from a brush head  14 . 
         [0042]    When a head cover  20  has been utilized with a foaming brush  12  in a car wash  10  to wash an item, the cover  20  may be rinsed out using the spot free cycle of the self serve wash options prior to removing the cover  20  from the brush head  14 . When the customer is finished washing their car, they should rinse and remove the cover  20  from the brush head  14  for disposal or storage for reuse in the future. The customer should wring the spot free water out of the cover  20  after rinsing and may then place the cover  20  in a storage bag for storage in a convenient location such as in their vehicle trunk or storage compartment. 
         [0043]    The disclosed cover  20  should be re-usable numerous times depending on the level of use and care it receives. This provides an affordable and readily available device for protection of the vehicle from paint or other damage that can easily be created by a contaminated brush head. 
         [0044]    Although the present disclosure has been described and illustrated with respect to a preferred embodiment and a preferred use therefore, it is not to be so limited since modifications and changes can be made therein which are within the full intended scope of the disclosure.