Tips for choosing and storing the right broom

Vacuum cleaners have tended to take away many of the cleaning duties once performed by brooms. But there are still plenty of times when a broom will do a superior job. Besides, they're easier to haul out than a vacuum cleaner and, of course, they don't require electricity.

Brooms come in two basic styles:

• Push brooms, with a head measuring 45–120 cm (18–50 in) wide. These are good for sweeping hard outdoor surfaces, such as garage floors, patios and footpaths.
• Traditional kitchen brooms, with the narrower head. These are better for interior use on hard floors.

• While most brooms today have synthetic bristles, there are still plenty available with natural bristles, including corn, straw and horsehair.
• Flagged bristles are split at the ends to make the bristles thinner and better able to pick up dirt.
• Nonflagged bristles are thicker and better for sweeping up larger sized particles and rubbish (pebbles, broken glass or china and that sort of thing).
• Some brooms have both types of bristles — flagged bristles on the outside and nonflagged bristles on the inner row. These brooms can sweep up pebbles and fine dust at the same time.
• For sweeping inside the house, softer nylon bristles are a much better alternative, because they won't scratch the floor.

• If you store your broom by standing it on its bristles, the bristles may curl, giving you less than perfect sweeping or brushing action. Therefore, it's better to hang up your broom.
• Many models come with a loop on the handle for just this purpose. If necessary, drill a hole in the handle and make a loop for it, or use the hole to hang the broom on a nail.
• There are also broom and mop holders you can attach to a wall for storing.

• The best place to purchase a broom is from specialty cleaning suppliers, which usually carry a large selection.
• Supermarkets, hardware stores, discount stores and home improvement stores also sell a variety of brooms.