Abstract: A cleaning tool for a pool skimmer basket has a handle with a grip and a lever, a tube that extends from the handle to a pivot assembly at its distal end, and a rod within the tube that connects the actuator to the pivot assembly. The pivot assembly is inserted into a basket fitting and is rotated about the longitudinal axis to secure the skimmer basket to the cleaning tool. The skimmer basket is then lifted out of its housing and the lever actuates the rod to force the rotation of the pivot assembly. As the pivot assembly moves from its initially aligned arrangement with the tube's longitudinal axis to a position that is askew from the axis, the skimmer basket is rotated so that the debris in the skimmer basket is dumped out.