Friday 18 July 2014

Rocking Your Push Broom Dust Pan

By Rosella Campbell


Housework can be both relaxing and rewarding. It is also a great equalizer. Kings and paupers all look the same when holding a dustpan and brush. There are few greater feelings than standing with pride over a squeaky clean kitchen. A wise craftsman always uses the best tools, and an essential tool in cleaning house is a push broom dust pan. These humble items have a surprising number of features.

The first decision you need to make when choosing a dustpan is how big it should be. It has to be wide enough to accommodate the broom you are using it with and it needs to be deep enough to accommodate a broomful of debris and dust. The larger the surface area of your dustpan, the more you can sweep without pausing to empty its contents into a dust bin.

Another choice you get the privilege of making is what your dustpan is made of. You can find these in either metal or plastic. It is difficult to imagine a wooden dustpan but it is possible they exist. You are more likely to find a wooden broom. Metal dustpans are more durable than the plastic variety. This is important if it is going to see a lot of use. If you do a lot of sweeping, a plastic dustpan will keep falling apart; you will go through an awful lot of duct tape.

Metal, on the other hand, is what the hard core pros use. We're talking stadium clean-up team, builders and supermarket cleaners. Metal will outlast plastic by several orders of magnitude. It may scratch, it may pick up the odd dent, but unless you are constantly sweeping up large shards of glass and heavy metal, it will last.

Dustpans come in different colors. With plastic, there is no limit as to the number of colors that are theoretically available. Even a metal dustpan may be spray painted any color you like. Why would you want different colored dustpans? Maybe you want one for upstairs and a separate one for downstairs. Ditto inside/outside or to color-code with what they are used to pick up. You would want to make sure you used a different color for the one you use to clean up the cat litter to distinguish it from the one you use for ordinary household chores.

If you are running a public event and have multiple sets of dustpans and brooms, you might want to have them color-coded to match the station they are assigned to. You might also want to have a separate set for broken glass or for sweeping up unpleasantries.

Consider also the long-handled dustpan. This little occupational health and safety feature can prevent lots of backaches because the use does not have to bend down to floor level to retrieve swept dust and debris. Another handy little feature is a dustpan with a lid. This keeps dust and debris contained so you are not breathing who knows what as you work.

The humble dustpan is a household device that we have grown to take for granted. There is more to these handy helpers than may meet the eye. For years of trouble-free sweeping, make sure yours is the right size, the right color and the right material.




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