Why Reaching For Your Broom Could Be The Solution To Scrubbing Your Dirty Floors

When you use a broom to clean up the floors around the house, there's really only one way you use it — to sweep. But outside of that innate cleaning instinct, a powerful but lesser-used broom-wielding method can give your kitchen and bathroom floors a clean unlike they've ever seen. Have you ever used a broom to scrub the floor? If not, you might be missing out on a tried-and-true cleaning tip that still manages to fly under the radar for many who regularly clean floors. Well, it's a secret no longer.

While mopping may be your go-to method for floor cleaning, it often doesn't deliver the same level of cleanliness that scrubbing with a broom can provide. Mopping can struggle to reach tough spots, such as grout lines between tiles or sticky residue, and it doesn't always tackle the most stubborn of messes. After all, have you ever wondered why your floors look so dirty after mopping? It's because traditional mopping methods often leave dirt behind due to ineffective cleaning tools or improper techniques. Enter the broom: with its stiff bristles and a little dish soap and water, it can scrub areas that a mop simply can't reach, providing a deeper clean. In fact, cleaning experts say that scrubbing with stiff bristles can provide a more thorough clean, especially for textured surfaces like grout or floors with built-in ridges. It's a surprisingly effective method that's just starting to gain attention thanks to a growing number of DIY cleaning influencers.

Cleaning influencers are leading the charge on scrubbing floors with a broom, sharing with their hundreds of thousands of followers the cleaning tip that they've learned. How can you do it? Well, using a clean, dry broom, apply some dish soap to the bristles, followed by adding a bit of water to create a sudsy mixture. The technique works wonders on tile and vinyl kitchen and bathroom floors, as it helps remove dirt, grime and sticky residues that often remain after conventional mopping. By using this method, the finished product is a floor that looks polished and gleaming. However, when finished, use a dry dust mop to soak up any excess cleaning solution, or do another wet pass with just water, ensuring that no soap residue is left behind. This step is important since, without proper rinsing, excess soap can remain on the floor.

Remember, this method works best for tile floors, like porcelain or vinyl  — surfaces that are generally more forgiving of moisture. For hardwood floors, particularly unsealed ones, excess moisture could damage the wood. For those instances, be aware of how to clean unsealed hardwood floors without leaving them damaged. But for tackling those vinyl or tile floors in kitchens or bathrooms, this broom technique might just replace your old mop-and-bucket routine, offering a quicker, more efficient way to clean.

The broom method works well for many floors, but it's important to recognize its limits. In general, apart from exercising caution on delicate or unsealed surfaces, it's also important to consider the type of cleaner you're using. For stubborn dirt and grime, dish soap mixed with water should work just fine. But for heavily soiled or greasy floors, you may want to use a stronger cleaner. Again, be mindful of the residue that can sometimes remain after scrubbing.

There's also the issue of mold and mildew buildup, particularly when cleaning bathrooms — especially those with little ventilation. To avoid this, make sure to dry the floor thoroughly and consider using a floor cleaner that targets mold. After all, there are right and wrong ways to clean when it comes to efficiency — you may have even been sweeping the floor wrong your whole life. And sure, using a broom to scrub the floors might seem unconventional, but it's an effective method that's gaining popularity thanks to its ability to tackle tough messes traditional mops may leave behind. Whether cleaning vinyl floors in your kitchen or tackling tough bathroom surfaces, the broom method is a quick and efficient way to make your floors sparkle.