I finally figured out how to handle those tight spiral flues without tearing up my arms.
Man, I was about ready to quit after the third spiral flue this month. Every time, I'd come out with scratches and bruises from squeezing into those narrow turns. I tried using longer brushes and different angles, but nothing worked smoothly. Then, I remembered an old timer mentioning flexible rods, so I gave them a shot. With the flexible rods, I could navigate the curves without forcing my body in there. Last job on Maple Street, the flue was a corkscrew, and I got it done in half the time. Now, I keep a set of those rods in my truck for any tricky chimney.