Patches & Mops

Patches do the actual cleaning; everything else just moves them. Size matters more than people expect — a patch that is too small slides past fouling without contacting it, and one that is too large jams and tempts you into forcing the rod. Cotton flannel is the standard because it holds solvent without shedding fibres.

Mops are for spreading solvent and applying a light protective coat, not for scrubbing. Because they hold solvent and residue well, a mop used on the way out of a bore you have just cleaned puts fouling straight back in. Keep separate mops for solvent and oil, and expect to replace them rather than clean them.