Room for the Broom

When it comes to brooms, the cleaning business would be lost without them.  Around this spooky time of year though, brooms take on a magical meaning.  Besides being a historical cleaning tool, folklore believed brooms had magical cleansing properties, possessing the ability to “sweep” out negative energy and bad luck. 

 ​Furthermore, It is speculated that the use of brooms date back to cave-dwelling times in a crude and primitive form.  These were cobbled from a stick and twigs or straw and didn’t last very long.  As of 1797, the quality of brooms improved drastically when Farmer Levi Dickenson of Hadley, MA crafted one for his wife with a variety of sorghum tassels.  When the neighbors heard of the craftsmanship, word spread like wildfire, leading Levi to start manufacturing his handmade brooms .  

We know that brooms are important, whether they are magical or not.  But are you using the right broom on your floors?  Let’s look at the right broom for the job.  Tile floors have a glossy finish, keeping them resilient and looking nice.  For this reason, it is best to use brooms with bristles made of flexible materials like rubber.   Check out this broom made by EvriHolder.  

Likewise, a soft bristle broom is recommended on hardwood floors to avoid scratching the finish.  Horse hair bristles are fine and soft, helping your floors maintain a sparkling luster.   This ergonomic Bissell broom will help you get the job done.  

On marble floors, microfiber brooms and dust mops are designed to handle the brittle texture.  Sweeping should be done on a fairly regular basis, as procrastinating will make the dust much more difficult to clean later.  Here’s a nice one to splurge on from MicroFiber Wholesale.  

For concrete floors, a more rigid bristle helps to sweep away large debris.  Still, an outer layer of soft bristles are necessary to pick up fine dust particles, and a more lightweight handle mitigates sweeping fatigue.  ​This one, called the “bulldozer”, lives up to its name.

For those on a budget, this all purpose broom from casabella will help you pick up any debris with its densely packed bristles.  Pair it with this OXO dustpan to leave not a speck of dirt on the floor.  

If you’re the type who respects a sturdy broom for both your sweeping and flying needs, make sure you know the floor you will be using it on.  Happy Halloween!