How To Use A Broom And Dustpan?

Having a clean home is great, but cleaning isn’t always easy. A broom, dustpan, and dust mop make the job easier, but it’s not always easy to use them effectively. If you don’t know how to use each tool properly, you can easily create a mess and work harder later to clean it up.

A Sears stove that hadn’t been cleaned since the 1950s stood in the center of our dorm, yellowed linoleum tiles curling around the seams. Behind it lived a rodent of some kind. Freethinker’s roommate was the first to take up sweeping.

As a whole, and especially me, it caught on gradually. Sweeping generated an almost imperceptible improvement in the home. The floors felt cleaner even though our rooms remained cluttered with books, bongs, and beer bottles, and no one was bothered to bring out the full garbage bags (we stacked them in the kitchen).

There was still grit between the cracks, but the linoleum was clean. Beer caps wouldn’t stick to one’s feet if one walked around barefoot.

I realized that the faintly rigorous act of sweeping could be just as rewarding as the results of sweeping. When you sweep, like cleaning up after a big dinner party, you strike a blow against entropy. Meditative and mechanical at the same time. When done right, it can easily become overwhelming. We’ll get started right now.

How to Sweep Effortlessly

Here are a few steps to use your best dustpan and broom correctly.

Step 1:

To efficiently clean the floor, follow these steps using short, deliberate strokes. Begin by sweeping the broom head across the ground. Then, hold the broom with both hands, one at the top and the other in the middle, and sweep from the outer edges toward your body. Make sure to brush in the direction of your intended sleep or movement, as this will guide any fallen debris towards the bristles.

Remember, shorter strokes provide better control. The main objective is to gather all the debris into one location rather than scattering it around. Avoid sweeping too rapidly or forcefully, as this may cause dust to billow up and settle back onto the area you just cleaned. By following these guidelines, you can optimize your sweeping technique.

Step 2:

To facilitate easy collection later, shape the debris into a small pile by drawing it away from the baseboards and into open areas. When reaching corners, bottoms of cabinets, or low-lying furniture pieces, angle the broom to ensure the bristles reach the deepest crevices.

For efficient cleaning, start from the far side of the room and work towards the door. This way, there’s no need to backtrack and search through scattered debris. Additionally, in particularly large rooms, consider dividing them into smaller sections and treat each section as a separate room.

Step 3:

To maintain optimal cleanliness, it is advisable to periodically clean your broom. The bristles of the broom tend to accumulate hair, lint, and dust bunnies. Whenever you notice such debris clinging to the bristles, a convenient way to loosen and remove them is by hand, while holding the broom over a trash can. This prevents the hassle of inadvertently spreading the mess as you sweep. Additionally, it is essential to wash your hands thoroughly after coming into contact with anything on the floor. By following these steps, you can ensure a hygienic and tidy environment.

Step 4:

To efficiently clean your space, start by using a dustpan to gather the pile you’ve been accumulating. Once that’s done, sweep along the edges of the room to collect any remaining debris. Carefully lift the dustpan, ensuring all the gathered dirt is inside, and empty it into the nearest trash can. With that, consider your cleaning task for the day complete! For more precise handling of smaller piles, you may opt to switch to a compact hand sweeper.

Step 5:

Optimize your dustpan cleaning technique with the “drawbridge” method. After sweeping debris into your dustpan, you might notice a bothersome line of dust at the front edge. To tackle this issue, follow these steps: Raise the handle of the dustpan at a steep angle while firmly holding the lip in place. This action will allow you to brush the dust back over the threshold. Once the dust is back in the desired area, simply “lower the drawbridge” by bringing the dustpan back to its original position, capturing the dust in the process.

This technique proves especially useful when the lip of your dustpan is too thick, hindering the easy passage of dust and smaller debris. By adopting the drawbridge method, you can overcome this obstacle effectively.

In case you encounter difficulty in managing dust lines with your broom, you have alternate options available. You can either employ a vacuum cleaner to suction the dust or opt to wipe it away using a suitable cleaning tool. By considering these alternatives, you can ensure a thorough cleanup, leaving your space dust-free.

The Simple Art of Sweeping

Step 1:

For optimal cleaning, it is advised not to walk on carpets. Instead, when cleaning wood, tile, laminate, stone, concrete, marble, or any other solid material, sweeping vigorously is recommended. Carpets, rugs, and upholstery require a different cleaning approach, rather than vacuuming.

In the case of most solid flooring types, using a vacuum cleaner’s “hard floors” setting can provide a quick and effective cleaning solution. However, for less common flooring materials such as bamboo, cork, and thatch, it is advisable to sweep or vacuum them. Ultimately, choose the method that you believe will yield the best results.

Step 2:

Prior to starting, ensure there are no objects obstructing your path that could impede your progress. Take a moment to remove or relocate any items such as furniture, decorations, throw rugs, or miscellaneous objects that may be on the floor.

When you are prepared to put back rugs and floor coverings, make sure to vigorously shake them outside to prevent leaving any dust behind after sweeping the floor. For easy access underneath tables, remember to push the chairs back when sweeping around them.

Step 3:

Prior to sweeping, it is important to address any wet messes first. If you have accidentally spilled liquid or encountered moisture, promptly clean it up using paper towels or a mop. Brooms are specifically designed for collecting small particles like dirt, dust, hair, crumbs, and broken items. They are not effective for dealing with puddles, splatters, or other liquid or soft, runny substances. Attempting to sweep such messes will only result in spreading them further across the floor and potentially damaging the bristles of the broom.

Step 4:

Broom the area to be swept using the appropriate broom. Standard fiber brooms are sufficient to sweep most floors. However, a push broom with a broad head may be better if you cover much ground. Also, soft dust mop heads can be used indoors in large, open spaces like hallways, offices, and gymnasiums to help attract dust. Brooms are not all the same. These features affect how brooms clean, including their head shapes, handle lengths, and bristle materials. You should also clean broom and dustpan after use.

It’s a great idea to have a dustpan when you sweep outside. If you don’t already have one, you can pick up a dustpan for a few dollars if you don’t already have one with your broom.

Conclusion

A clean home is one that is free of clutter. Clutter can lead to dust and dirt accumulating on the surfaces of your home. If you do not have a cleaning routine in place, your home will start to look dirty very quickly. There are many ways that you can use a broom and dustpan to keep your home clean. We hope our article helps you to properly use a broom and dustpan for cleaning.