Extensible cleaning utensil

Abstract

The present invention provides a cleaning utensil comprising a handle portion and a head portion, the head portion adapted to be extendible from the handle portion and adapted to be flexible when extended from the handle portion.

1 . A cleaning utensil comprising: 
 a handle portion and a head portion, the head portion adapted to be extendible from the handle portion and adapted to be flexible when extended from the handle portion.    
   
   
       2 . The cleaning utensil according to  claim 1 , wherein the head portion is releasably attached to the handle portion.  
   
   
       3 . The cleaning utensil according to  claim 2 , wherein the head portion is adapted to threadingly engage the handle portion.  
   
   
       4 . The cleaning utensil according to  claim 1 , wherein the head portion includes a flexible coil that is adapted to threadingly engage the handle portion.  
   
   
       5 . The cleaning utensil according to  claim 4 , wherein the head portion comprises a cleaning head.  
   
   
       6 . The cleaning utensil according to  claim 5 , wherein the cleaning head is releasably attached to the flexible coil.  
   
   
       7 . The cleaning utensil according to  claim 5 , wherein the head portion further comprises a plug portion releasably attached to the cleaning head and connected to the flexible coil.  
   
   
       8 . The cleaning utensil according to  claim 5 , wherein the cleaning head is selected from a brush, a sponge and a cleaning pad.  
   
   
       9 . A cleaning utensil comprising: 
 a handle portion, a cleaning head and an attachment member releasably attached to at least one of the cleaning head and the handle portion and operable to extend the cleaning head away from the handle portion and to impart flexibility thereto.    
   
   
       10 . The cleaning utensil according to  claim 9 , wherein the attachment member is threadingly engaged to at least one of the handle portion and the cleaning head.  
   
   
       11 . The cleaning utensil according to  claim 9 , wherein the attachment member is a flexible coil.  
   
   
       12 . The cleaning utensil according to  claim 9 , wherein the cleaning head is selected from a brush, a sponge and a cleaning pad.  
   
   
       13 . A method of using an extensible cleaning utensil with a vessel to be cleaned, the utensil having a handle portion and an extendible and flexible head portion, comprising the steps of: 
 (i) extending the head portion to at least one of a desired length and degree of flexibility for cleaning a portion of the vessel;    (ii) placing the utensil within the interior portion of the vessel;    (iii) cleaning the interior portion of the vessel with the head portion; and    (iii) optionally flexing the head portion in order to reach areas within the interior portion of the vessel to be cleaned.    
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the portion of the vessel is an interior portion.