Variety of types, or how to choose the most suitable broom for cleaning

A traditional broom for cleaning premises is a popular cleaning tool. It is still relevant, despite the emergence of a large number of brushes, including automated ones.

For high-quality sweeping, you need to choose a suitable broom and prepare it. If you wish, you can even make such simple equipment yourself.

What are they made of?

Brooms are simple cleaning tools. They are made mainly from natural raw materials, but synthetic ones can also be found. You can buy them ready-made or make them yourself.

Sorghum and millet

For natural home brooms millet is used as a manufacturing material, but more often - sorghum. This plant belongs to the cereal family. The stems of sorghum are dense and strong, from which many panicles-inflorescences extend upward.

Millet stems can also be used for brooms, but they are less durable. Millet and millet are the same grain. After grinding the grains, millet turns into millet.

Rods

To create a tool, twigs of birch, wolfberry or willow are collected. The main requirement for blanks is that they must be sufficiently thin and soft, but at the same time durable.

Lyko

Another type of material used is bast. The subbark layer of wood is used as raw material.

Most often, preference is given to oak, linden or birch. Bast is a fairly soft material. It is subjected to special processing, after which the fibers are separated.

Polymers

Cleaning products made from polymers - synthetic analogue of traditional broom There are many design options, colors and materials used. The working side is usually made of durable plastic wire.

One of the varieties of synthetic ones is an instrument made from unnecessary plastic bottles. The working nozzle in this case is made from plastic bottles cut into very narrow strips.

Rags

Using rags for brooms and brooms allows you to give a second life to unnecessary things. Fabric cut into strips and collected in a bunch will help cope with dust and is even useful for wet cleaning.

Ropes

Even ropes and strong ropes can be used to create a cleaning tool. It can be either natural or synthetic material. The principle of organizing such a broom is similar to that made from rags.

Types and purpose

According to the characteristics and design of the brooms usually divided into two main groups:

• for premises;
• for the street.

Those intended for home are also divided into 2 subgroups:

• for collecting dust, so-called “brooms”;
• for sweeping the floor.

Dust removal brooms

The dust blowers are small in size. Their working part is made of thin soft materials. They can be made from feathers, thread, or synthetic fibers that resemble fine hairs. The working attachment is attached to the handle.

For sweeping the house

Household sweeping brooms allow you to collect dust and debris from the floor. Such a tool is most often made from thin twigs and twigs. Preference is given to millet and sorghum.

A bunch of stems is tied in a special way so that a comfortable rounded handle is formed, and the lower part looks like a fan. This is necessary so that the working part covers a sufficiently large area when sweeping. Also bast, ropes or polymers can be used for production.

For the street

The outdoor broom is designed for outdoor work. To create it, twigs and branches made of willow, wolfberry or birch, which are tougher than for a house, are chosen. At the same time, they should be elastic, allowing you to sweep away leaves and other small debris.

In addition to brooms made from natural raw materials, you can use ready-made polymer samples and those made from plastic bottles. The best option for the street is to have both a broom and a broom.. This will ensure better treatment of the area.

Selection rules

A wide range of cleaning tools allows choose the best option based on your requirements:

1. Material of manufacture. It can be a natural or synthetic base.
2. Length of the product. For convenience when sweeping the floor, the optimal length should be about 85 cm, since it is inconvenient to work with a short tool.
3. The width of the working bristles should be at least 25 cm, preferably 35-45 cm, to ensure coverage of a larger area in one pass.
4. Color. For artificial models made from synthetic materials, you can choose any one you like, but for those made from sorghum, it is advisable to give preference to those that have a slight reddish tint.
5. Workmanship. The broom should have thick enough bristles to capture debris as much as possible. It is important that the branches are securely fastened and do not fall out if the bristles are pulled.

Steaming: why is it necessary?

After purchasing a new natural broom, it should be treated - steamed. Such preparation for the operation of the tool is necessary in order for the broom to serve for a long time and have good performance indicators.

How to steam or soak a broom? For steaming you need to prepare:

• bucket;
• boiling water;
• 1 tbsp. kitchen salt.

Procedure:

1. Pour boiling water into the bucket.
2. Pour salt into the water.
3. Stir.
4. Place a broom whisk in the bucket.
5. Leave to infuse for at least two hours.

After soaking in boiling water, the branches will become elastic and soft. As a result, they will not break quickly, and the tool itself will last much longer.

DIY making

When using sorghum shoots to create a broom, it is advisable to give preference to mature plants that have already begun to dry out on the vine. But this recommendation is not suitable for all regions, because even in a temperate climate, sorghum does not always have time to fully ripen.

When tying branches into a broom, the width of the panicle should not be less than 25 cm, otherwise the tool will not be functional. Optimal size:

• working panicle from 0.25 to 0.4 m;
• product length is about 0.85 m.

Work order:

1. In the fall, cut off branches that will be used for future brooms. They are needed from 20 to 35 pieces per product.
2. Remove leaves.
3. Dry the cut pieces by hanging the branches down with panicles for at least 10-30 days, preferably until spring.
4. After drying, remove the seeds.
5. The stems must be sorted, paying attention to the thickness of the shoots and the splendor of the panicles.
6. Lay out the branches on a horizontal plane, trying to place the stronger and stronger ones on the outside, and the thinner ones in the center.
7. Tie the stems into bundles with rope, using force to ensure rigidity.
8. Sew the panicles, fixing them in the shape of a fan.
9. Trim the working part of the broom to give it the required shape.

You can watch the video on how to make a broom from plastic bottles:

Recommendations

When choosing a broom for cleaning, It is advisable to take into account the following points:

1. A broom differs from a broom in shape and material of manufacture. For brooms made from natural raw materials, sorghum or millet is used, and for brooms, mainly willow or birch twigs are used. The handle in this case is most often a plastic or wooden shaft.
2. Without brewing, a natural broom will last less.
3. Brooms that are industrially made from sorghum must comply with the technical specifications of OST 56-31-91.
4. In order to extend the life of any of the brooms, it is important to store them correctly. It is best to place the cleaning product horizontally rather than vertically.

Conclusion

A cleaning broom is a universal, convenient tool that can be used indoors and outdoors. When choosing a model, you need to consider exactly how it will be used.. Taking into account the requirements, preference may be given to a broom made from natural raw materials or synthetic materials.