Everybody should know how to sweep a floor. I got into the habit in college when I lived with a half dozen other reprobates in a shambolic wood-frame home on the edge of campus on the low Iowa prairie.
Though our rooms were still cluttered with books and bongs and beer bottles, and no one could be bothered to take the full garbage bags out to the curb (we stacked them in the kitchen), the floors definitely felt cleaner.
A pair of 54 inch brooms from Haydenville Broomworks according to the makers Using the design pioneered by the Shakers the broom heads are stitched flat to provide a wider...
1. Arm yourself.
...sweep and the broomcorn is secured to the handle using wire I have the Traditional Broom shown above L with a long Sassafras handle that s smooth to the touch 65
A round broom is an OK shape for sweeping out narrow spaces, such as fireplaces and the spot behind the oven where the rodent lived, but it’s inefficient for sweeping a wide, indoor floor. With a thicker lip, you are going to be left with a thin, accusatory stripe of dirt on the floor.
The Chiltern Dustpan from Turner & Harper is £35.
2. Pick a central dust-collection spot.
It ought to be in the doldrums of the house, at a low point (we sweep from high to low) and preferably in a corner—but absolutely protected from airflow.
The Mr & Mrs Clynk Broom from Andrée Jardin.
Gently sweep toward your staging area. Sweep in short strokes, but with authority.
3. Start in the furthest room.
I am sorry that your mother did not tell you this, but from time to time, you will need to turn your broom upside down and, with your hand, remove the lint, pet hair, and other woozies from the bristles.
4. Periodically clean your broom.
Hand brooms (the Epoussette Tradition and the Balayette Tradition) from Andrée Jardin.
5. Move with purpose.
Firmly move from room to room, furthest to closest, collecting your dust in your central spot.
You might find yourself wondering: How the hell is that even possible?
6. Admire the pile of debris you’re collecting.
A handmade hand broom and dustpan from Hannah Beatrice Quinn, a San Francisco-based artist and broom maker.
Photograph via Instagram.
7. Introduce the dustpan.
A Remodelista favorite and the one I own: German company Redecker’s Stainless Steel Dustpan with a rubber end; $25 at Flotsam and Fork.
8. Learn the drawbridging technique.
Finally, we need to remove that tiny wall of filth that some nitwit with a degree in industrial design from a reputable university couldn’t be bothered to worry about.
It might take you a few tries to master the technique, but stick with it, for the only thing worse than a sloppily swept floor is one that is, sadly, unswept.