Best Mops and Brooms for Cleaning

Brooms are a staple cleaning tool in homes and businesses. The type of broom you need depends on the project you’re undertaking. Choose from four basic types: angle brooms, push brooms, corn brooms and whisk brooms.

• Angle broom: If you’re looking to sweep small areas with obstacles and furniture, the best type of indoor broom is an angle broom. As the name suggests, the bristles meet the floor at an angle, and the angled point helps tackle corners. They’re designed for everyday sweeping of smaller debris commonly found in kitchens and other rooms in a home.

• Corn broom: These classics are versatile and useful both indoors and out. Unlike most other brooms, their long bristles are stitched together in a bundle. The bristles are also thicker than other brooms. Together, these features make corn brooms flexible yet strong enough for almost any task.

• Push broom: Designed for effective, heavy-duty sweeping of large spaces, push brooms feature a large, wide head. As a result, they can cover more area in a shorter time than other types, piling up both small and large pieces of debris as you push. Use this type of broom for sweeping out garages, clearing leaves on driveways or decks and cleaning other big, open spaces. You won’t tire as easily because you aren’t sweeping back and forth.

• Whisk broom: These sweeping tools have no handle, and they’re small and short for easy portability. They are used for small spaces or for small amounts of debris. They usually have stitched bundles of bristles like corn brooms do.

Besides the main types of brooms, there are also specialty designs that focus on scrubbing, commercial cleaning and more.

Bristles for brooms are made from various natural and synthetic materials, including horsehair, polyethylene, corn and acrylic. The bristle type can make a difference in the broom’s effectiveness on certain surfaces and kinds of debris.

The handle of your broom is also important to consider. Broom handles can be made from wood, plastic, fiberglass or metal, and they come in varying lengths.

Mops are considered essential for washing large floor areas. There’s a wide variety of mop types, so the best one depends on the job you’re tackling. From dry mopping to wet mopping, and everything in between, let’s explore the options.

String mop: This is the classic mop, and it’s popular for good reason. String mops fit into corners well, and they’re usually made with highly absorbent materials. There are a few common varieties of mops that fall into this category.

• Cut-end mops are the typical movie mops, with cut cotton strings tied together around a handle. This style can be difficult to wring out, making keeping it sanitary difficult, but it is known for cleaning well.

• Looped end mops are a lot like the cut-end mops, but the strings are looped instead of cut and attached. They’re excellent for cleaning, and the mop head itself is usually easy to clean.

• Spin mops work together with a bucket that’s usually included. The bucket has a device that spins the wet mop, wringing out the water into the bucket. The mop head may be detachable to make it easy to sanitize.

• Strip mops don’t use strings, but instead use strips of material as string substitutes. They don’t do well on large surfaces, but they can be used dry or wet. And like some other types, the mop head may be detachable.

Sponge mop: Sponge mops have an absorbent sponge and usually a wringer, making them especially useful for cleaning large areas. Additionally, they can be used to clean up spilled liquids. Sponge mops can also include a brush to help scrub hard surfaces, removing stuck-on stains and debris.

Flat mop: This type of mop is excellent for hardwood floors and vinyl surfaces. It has a flat, rectangular mop head that often attaches to the handle on a swivel for easy cleaning. Flat mops require the attachment of either a disposable or reusable pad to the mop head. Besides the regular flat mop, there are also two specialty mops that fall into this category.

• Dust mops are considered the best dry mop for attracting and collecting dirt, making clean up a breeze. They have a reusable soft cover made of cotton or microfiber that captures dirt. Dust mops are best suited for surfaces that require a gentle touch, such as hardwoods.

• Spray mops have a built-in area that holds a cleaning solution or water. When mopping, you press the button or squeeze the trigger to spray it on the floor. It’s important to use the right chemicals for your floor type.

Mop varieties can also be even more specialized. Steam mops, robot mops and other vacuum-mop combinations are examples of the wide variety of available mops.

Keep in mind that mop heads can be made of almost any type of material. Many types of mops can be found using a variety of materials, while others are exclusively one type. The most popular materials for traditional mops include rayon, cotton, sponge/cellulose, synthetic and polyester cotton blend.

Choose a broom or mop based on your cleaning needs. And consider that having more than one is recommended. Having the right types of brooms and mops helps manage household chores. Also, some people choose to have a broom or mop designated for certain areas in order to limit the amount of debris that is transferred from one area to another.