Abstract: A collapsible brush includes an open topped housing provided with a removable lid and a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse bars which are located in the housing and have flat top faces, angularly related front and rear faces gear sector under faces. Stub shafts project from the upper end faces of the bars and are journalled in aligned recesses in the housing side walls and have flat top faces coplanar with the bar top faces. Bristle tufts are anchored in the bar top faces. A longitudinally slidable rack is sandwiched between the housing base and the gear sectors and is connected to a longitudinally movable brush handle either directly or by a lost motion coupling so that extension of the handle extends the bristles and retraction of the handles swings the bristles into collapsed overlapping positions.