Choose Your Next Brush or Capacity Upgrade
Moon Sweepers' handheld cleaning tools are the free Toothbrush, Nail Brush ($5), Handbrush ($10), Household Broom ($25), Wide Broom ($75), and Extra Wide Broom ($150). Choose width when sweeping feels slow, capacity when packing keeps interrupting you, and a vehicle when broad, untouched terrain becomes your main job and you can afford its Garage.
Every Handheld Cleaning Tool and Its Shop Price
Take the starting Toothbrush from the station's supply wall before spending anything on equipment. The table lists the handheld brushes and their starting shop prices; container upgrades are separate purchases. Use the cleaning role to decide whether an intermediate brush helps your current work or whether you would rather save for a broom.
| Tool | Starting Shop Price | Cleaning Role | How to Get It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toothbrush | Free | Starter for earning money through nearby cleaning. | Take it from the starting station's supply wall. |
| Nail Brush | $5 | An inexpensive improvement over the Toothbrush. | Purchase from the starting tool shop. |
| Handbrush | $10 | Increases working width again after the smaller brushes. | Purchase from the starting tool shop. |
| Household Broom | $25 | A practical handheld tool for working across an entire hex. | Purchase from the starting tool shop. |
| Wide Broom | $75 | A wider option when the Household Broom feels too narrow. | Purchase from the starting tool shop. |
| Extra Wide Broom | $150 | Suited to long passes across broad, open terrain. | Purchase from the starting tool shop. |
Cleaning Width and Container Capacity Solve Different Problems
A wider cleaning head removes Dust across a broader strip with each pass. That helps most on open ground where you can keep the brush moving over dirty terrain. The shop comparison for moving to the Extra Wide Broom shows width increasing from about 65.9 cm to 98.8 cm.
Container capacity determines how much Dust you can collect before stopping to pack or deposit it. The Household Broom starts with approximately 3 kg of capacity, and its $30 container upgrade raises that to 6 kg. This doubles the amount held before the tool fills, but it does not widen the cleaning strip.
Watch what interrupts your work before choosing between them. If the container rarely fills, prioritize coverage; if you keep stopping to handle Dust, consider capacity. Longer walks to the Depot also make extra capacity more useful, while a pile of packed capsules points toward a delivery problem.
Choose and Apply Your Next Handheld Upgrade
- Start with nearby dirty ground and keep the return route to the Depot short. Watch the tool's container while cleaning so you can tell whether narrow coverage or frequent unloading is slowing you down.
- Compare an affordable brush with saving for the Household Broom. If you are already close to its $25 price, consider skipping another small purchase so you reach the larger tool sooner.
- Return to the unfinished cleaning area after your purchase. Check whether you can now spend more time sweeping and less time packing or walking, then put the next earnings toward the delay that remains.
Useful Upgrade Matrix Choices for Manual Cleaning
Wide Head increases cleaning width. It is worth considering when you expect to keep using handheld tools for a substantial stretch of play. Compare it with the next broom purchase before spending money you were saving for a vehicle.
Dust Compactor increases capacity across tool containers and requires a container upgrade first. Its value improves when you regularly carry larger loads across upgraded tools. For a small broom, compare that broader upgrade with the cheaper container improvement available for the tool you are actually using.
Auto Packer automatically packs a capsule at your feet when the container fills during cleaning. It reduces repeated manual packing, while the capsules still need transport or delivery. If capsules are already accumulating, improve their route to the Depot before collecting them faster.
Crew upgrades use the host's Upgrade Matrix, and anyone's upgrade purchase benefits everyone. Older saves retain the highest upgrade level anyone had bought. Coordinate the next purchase around the cleaning or delivery task that is holding up your crew.
When to Save for a Garage and Sweeper
Start saving for a vehicle when you repeatedly sweep broad, untouched terrain and your manual setup already earns consistently. The Push Sweeper costs $300, while its Garage costs $200. If you still need construction access, the Building Tool costs $50, so include that purchase in your plans as well.
Keep using a broom when savings are tight and convenient nearby hexes remain unfinished. A modest capacity purchase can help you keep earning without committing to vehicle infrastructure immediately. You do not need to finish every handheld upgrade before moving into construction.
Prepare the unloading route before returning with a large vehicle load, because buying a sweeper does not complete the selling setup. Owned vehicles can be recalled, stored, and upgraded at any Garage. Check your existing fleet and receiving route before spending more on collection equipment.
When a Better Brush Still Feels Slow
- The brush clears enough ground but keeps filling: prioritize container capacity. More width increases coverage, while a larger container reduces interruptions from handling collected Dust.
- Packed capsules are piling up: improve delivery before buying another brush. Auto Packer can handle packing, but it still leaves capsules that need transport or deposit.
- A nearly clean hex will not finish: inspect corners, borders, and thin remaining strips of Dust. Even a large handheld brush needs careful positioning during the final cleanup.
- Darkness makes remaining Dust difficult to spot: work near borders you recognize and consider the helmet lamp's brightness upgrades. Poor visibility can make manual cleanup harder without making another broom the most useful purchase.