Do You Wash Your Broom?

Brooms are an essential tool for a clean home, we use them on a daily basis to sweep up dirt, dust bunnies and spilled bits that accumulate on our floors. But when the broom bristles are full of grody bits, aren’t we just spreading dirt and germs around when we use them for cleaning?

Nice And Clean Sweeping Broom

You don’t have to clean your broom each and every time you sweep the floors, but giving it a good wash regularly will keep your broom in tip-top cleaning shape. Here’s how:

How To Clean A Broom

• First take the broom outside and try to shake and knock out any loose dirt. You can do this by knocking the broom against something like a large rock, the fence or a tree (not too hard that it will snap the broomstick).
• Nylon bristle brooms can be soaked in a pail filled with hot water and your favorite household cleaner or bleach.
• Straw bristle brooms can soak in a hot soapy solution.
• Rinse the bristles with clear hot water then let air dry outside (bristle side up).

Let the broom dry completely before using again. When you’re done washing the broom, why not give the dustpan a good soapy cleaning too? Takes just a minute to do!

Tips:

• Brooms just purchased should be soaked in strong salt water before using to make them last longer (straw bristle brooms). From General Household Hints: Timeless Wisdom Collection.
• Add new life to fiber brooms by washing them occasionally in 2 quarts of warm water to which have been added 4 tablespoons of household ammonia. Let the bristles soak in this for half an hour. Rinse in clear warm water and then hang them up in a cool place to dry.
• Never stand a broom or brush on its bristles in the closet. Screw cup-hook at the end of the handle and hang it up so the bristles don’t touch the floor. This prevents the brush from losing its shape or wearing out sooner than necessary. From 20 Vintage Cleaning Tips & Work Savers.