Putting a Bag on Your Broom and Other Tricks for Sweeping Your House

Passing the broom without raising dust or leaving traces of dirt is an easy task if you practice the recommendations we'll talk about here.

How can you make your broom sweep up all the lint? How can you sweep the floors without raising dust? Is it possible to remove the hair that remains on the floor due to static? Fortunately, there are tricks for sweeping the house that simplify the task with the use of a few simple tools that you probably already have lying around at home.

Buying a sweeping robot may save you time during cleaning, but adjusting the functionality of a traditional broom will save you the money you would spend on an appliance.

This is not to say that it’s best to completely rule out the purchase of the appliance. However, if a cleaning robot isn’t within your reach, you may want to consider the strategies we’ll take a look at in this article. But first, let’s learn about the importance of good sweeping.

Why is meticulous sweeping important?

When you sweep the house, you exclude dirt that isn’t stuck to the floor. Just thinking about it makes the task look easy, but after dragging the bristles across the floor to pile up the trash in a single spot, dust and dirt particles may remain, even if you move your broom with a lot of force.

If the surface is not well groomed, debris accumulates and its presence can be harmful to your health. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention emphasizes that regular surface cleaning is a habit that prevents the spread of germs and removes any impurities, helping to keep the whole family healthy.

Effective tricks for sweeping your house

Of all the tricks for sweeping the house, the main one is to have a good broom. There are several types of sweeping brushes with differences determined by the size, the bristles, the length of the handle, and the shape of the head.

For indoor jobs, the ones with straight bristles are recommended, since they can easily adjust to any type of floor. In tight spaces, try narrow-headed brooms, and if the area is large, wide-headed brooms are better.

As for the bristles, synthetic ones slip smoothly on smooth surfaces, and natural fiber ones run perfectly and push more dirt on hardwood, concrete, and other textured floors. Now, how to do the job more effectively? By applying tips such as the following:

Cover the broom with a bag

It’s very cumbersome to detach hair stuck to the floor by static; the same happens with pet hair. Even if you do manage to pick it up, it gets tangled in the broom in a way that makes it hard to get it loose.

The secret to catching hair that falls to the floor is to wrap a plastic bag around the brush head. Tie the handles of the bag together covering all the bristles and proceed to sweep as you normally would.

All the hair that’s on the surface will stick to the liner and the rest of the trash. The next thing to do is to use that same bag to throw out the trash!

Tricks for sweeping your house: A dust sticker

This is a trap for both dust and other debris. Take strips of double-sided tape and stick them end to end on each side of the broom; the only thing you leave free are the ends that touch the floor.

What you achieve with this trick is that the dirt doesn’t go up the brush or spread out, but instead binds to the glue. When you’re done, remove and discard the tapes.

Tricks for sweeping your house: Tie a sock to your broom

This idea is similar to the bag trick. Recycle an old nylon sock and cut a hole in both sides; insert the sock through the broom handle and wrap it completely around the fibers. The textile collects dust and debris with static electricity.

Dampen the dust with newspaper

Another efficient method for sweeping the house is to dampen the dust beforehand. You achieve this by placing sheets of moistened newspaper on the floor. The purpose is to attach the dirt to the sheets and prevent a possible dusting when you slide the broom.

How to complement these tricks to sweep your house

House dust is made up of invisible and harmful components. If you’re hypersensitive to this element, sweeping must be meticulous so as not to disturb the particles and expose you to a reaction. In these cases, it’s a good idea to use tools in addition to brushes.

In this regard, the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology suggests cleaning using gloves and masks. Also, they talk about complementing with a vacuum cleaner whose filter or particle collector is of high efficiency (HEPA).

Don’t forget to clean your broom! This is one of the best tricks for sweeping your house

Also, you optimize your sweeping by cleaning your broom after using it. For this purpose, it’s a good idea to have a lint-removing comb and gloves to help remove stubborn dirt from the tool. Remember to wear a mask, especially if you’re allergic to dust.

It’s also essential to soak the brush for a few minutes in a bucket of soapy water, then wring it out and wait for it to dry before using it again. Finally, clean the handle by mixing water and disinfectant. With these tricks, your broom is ready for perfect sweeping!