How to Select the Right Broom for Your Needs

There are several factors that go into selecting the right broom:

• Bristle stiffness
• Flagged vs Unflagged
• Type of bristles

Bristle Stiffness

Bristle stiffness is one of the main attributes of a broom you need to understand to select the right broom for your needs.

• Fine or soft bristles tend to be longer and thinner which make them good for sweeping small, fine particles such as flour or dust.
• Medium bristles are used for sweeping larger particles such as wood shavings and can be used in wet and dry applications.
• Coarse or stiff bristles are short and thicker which gives them more strength for sweeping away large particles or for scrubbing. Use them wet with a cleaning agent to scrub the most difficult dirt away.

Flagged Bristles vs. Unflagged

• Flagged bristles are frayed at the ends which help the bristles collect small particles more easily.
• Unflagged bristles are straight and stiff which help with collecting larger particles and debris and also for your scrubbing applications.

Types of Bristles

There are many different types of bristles available but we’ll be focusing this article on just three:

• Tampico – These bristles are made from the stem of the Mexican agave plant and have a medium texture and are ideal for dry sweeping on semi‐smooth surfaces. They are also resistant to heat, alkali, and acids.
• Horsehair – As the name implies, these bristles come from the manes and tails of horses. They are softer and more gentle on floors yet durable for long‐lasting use. They are the material used in Fine bristle brooms but are also combined with other types of bristle material to make combination bristles for other applications.
• Synthetic – Very durable man‐made bristles that are highly resistant to acids and oils. These bristles are flexible and won’t scratch floor surfaces and are used in wet or dry applications.

Explore the different brooms available from Woodworker Express in the Cleaning and Janitorial Supplies area.