Whoever came up with the phrase “elbow grease” was probably holding a scrub brush.During my decade-plus as a parent and an editor covering home improvement and cleaning, I’ve added three to my arsenal.For the nastiest, stickiest, crustiest, shred-a-Brawny-to-smithereens kinds of stains, a beater Rubbermaid scrub brush is the tool I start off with. Some secret magic in the Rubbermaid 6-Inch Iron Handle Scrub Brush’s kinky blue bristles make it the most effective on the toughest stains — in spite of a uniquely uncomfortable handle. Harry Sawyers/NYT WirecutterThe baddest brush in the whole damn townRubbermaid 6-Inch Iron Handle Scrub BrushFor nasty messes that need forceful cleaning, this abrasive, unrefined brush’s stiff bristles sloppily punish stains, while its painful plastic grip does the same to your hand.$6 from Amazon$11 from Walmart