A cleaning element holder of a cleaning tool includes a handle to be held by user's hand, and a pair of holding parts which extend from the handle in a longitudinal direction of the cleaning element holder. Each of the holding parts has deflection displacement characteristics around a connection between the handle and the holding part, at least in a first direction transverse to an extending direction of the holding parts and a second direction transverse to the first direction. When a load of 2.5 N is applied in the first direction to an end, the holding part deflects 15 to 80 degrees in the first direction, and when a load of 2.5 N is applied in the second direction to the end, the holding part deflects 25 to 55 degrees in the second direction.