An apparatus for washing and sanitizing elongate rotary brushes used for cleaning fruit, produce, and other food products includes a cylindrical housing (14), within which is installed a carrier assembly (16) for supporting the rotary brushes (12) to revolve around the interior of the housing and also to simultaneously spin the rotary brushes about their individual longitudinal axis (18). The interior of the housing is divided into separate zones for carrying out the steps of the cleaning and sanitation process. Effluent from the cleaning process is collected in a tank (30) located at the bottom of the housing. The brushes are conveniently loaded onto and removed from the apparatus (10) through a side door opening (52) provided in the housing.