I'm sure that many a schoolboy, BBC reporter, or Mother Superior must have thought long and hard about this most important of questions. 'Is it more efficient to sweep towards yourself, or away?'
My own thinking suggests that to sweep towards you somehow manages to collect more detritus (dust, dog hair, or dead leaves) than if one pushes away. I can offer no scientific evidence to back my claim, just some satisfaction in hoping that I'm right. I do quite a lot of sweeping (especially leaves, etc) so an answer to this question might save me hours.
Of course the quality of the brush or broom makes a great difference to sweeping, but given the right kit there should be an optimum method of sweeping. Maybe some Oxford boffin would like to do research into this subject; that is, if they're not too busy removing photos of H M The Queen from halls.
I have never bought a broom with instructions suggesting an answer to this thorny subject. All brooms SHOULD come with instructions.
I think a person should sweep whichever way they are most comfortable with. Mostly it depends on how your parents swept, because that's how children learn, by copying.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure you haven't been reading The Oxford Book of Sweeping?
DeletePush broom, pushes/sweeps away. Regular brooms, depends on where the debris is. I sweep from right to left or left to right in front of me, away from my feet.
ReplyDeleteI tend to sweep towards my feet; but gently. Otherwise usually right to left.
DeleteDepends where you are I think, in the kitchen on the lino I sweep towards me, but if outside on stone flags etc. I sweep away. Interestingly, and slightly amazing to me as well, my daughter and my sisters do not have brooms for indoors, they all use these new fangled steam cleaners instead. Can't be bothered with all that, give me a broom any day. And my old fashioned string mop!
ReplyDeleteI was just this minute stroking the dog in his bed and noticed all the mess under the kitchen table. I shall have to get the Dyson out. Country life can be messy.
DeleteIn my home I sweep towards, but as a child on my aunt's farm helping to clean up the cowshed, I swept away, so I suspect it partly depends on what it is we are sweeping.
ReplyDeleteIn the cowshed that sounds logical.
DeleteI sweep towards myself but stand to the side. That way you are out of the way of the broom.
ReplyDeleteI think that's what I do too.
DeleteFor what it's worth, I sweep towards me and back from the far corners to the door way and dustpan !
ReplyDeleteAnother sensible way to do things.
DeleteI have to sweep the front porch every day as leaves and dust are blown in overnight and gather there. I tend to sweep sideways, from right to left across in front of me. For some reason that is the most effective method for me. Must be something to do with the brush I expect.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I do it, but always slightly towards myself more than away. I sweep around the pool every morning, and one's mind tends to ponder such things.
DeleteWhen I sweep the leaves and dust from the front door, I find that towards me is more efficient!
ReplyDeleteI find that too. I'm sure we're right!
DeleteTowards you when sweeping out of corners...but then away out of a room.
ReplyDeleteBut... vacuum clean from the door inwards, in front of yourself!
I think I might stand outside of the room and sweep towards me.
DeleteThis is really an important question that I never thought about. I sweep towards me.
ReplyDeleteI suspect most people do, it seems more 'controllable', and more efficient.
DeleteI use that broom all-way-which. I only use a broom outside and most of our terraces have uneven paving stones with cracks full of dirt. A besom would be better but they remind me of my M in law who was always bent double over her witches broom sweeping every leaf or bettle that dared to spoil her territory
ReplyDeleteI don't know where you'd buy a besom these days, you'd probably have to make your own.
DeleteI have a friend in North Hants who makes them..they are also charcoal burners.. getting their details for you 🙂
Deletehttps://www.threecopse.co.uk/
DeleteI know this might sound revolutionary - crazy even - but I use a brush BOTH ways depending on location etc.. I guess this makes me a trans-brusher. Is this blogpost part of an exciting new series? To be followed up with Dusting, Drying the Pots, Making The Bed and Putting One's Undies Away. I can't wait.
ReplyDeleteJust wait for my 'Finger nail trimming 100 ways'. Not to be missed.
DeleteHeavens, it's not something I've ever thought about, I don't often use a broom. These days I use the leaf blower/shredder outside (there are a lot of leaves around) and the battery operated upright Hoover for indoors, my trusty Dyson having finally given up!
ReplyDeleteI like the Dyson we have here. It's easy to use, easy to empty, and always ready to go.
DeleteA question I have never pondered. There should be a government grant to study this issue.
ReplyDeleteAs well as a University fellowship.
DeleteI use the Dyson and Shark inside and the leaf blower outside. No sweeping for me. Oxford might just commission you to compile data on sweeping!
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting for the call.
DeleteIsn´t sweeping the floor a kind of meditation in Japanese temples? They surely should know how to sweep correctly.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they should write the instruction manual to accompany each broom/brush.
DeleteMy dear farmer had strong views on the subject but then he would have given that most of his sweeping involved cow muck to a large extent.
ReplyDeleteIn which case I imagine he was a proponent of the 'away' method.
DeleteCro, I think most people sweep right to left... although outside on the walkway, I tend to sweep both ways to get rid of grass and debris. Looking forward to the Fingernail trimming post!
ReplyDeleteRight to left, and slightly towards you, seems to have the most support. I think they're right too. But perhaps left-handed people would see it otherwise.
DeleteWho knew there would be a master class in sweeping. Sweeping for life or some such.
ReplyDeleteAll of life is found here!!!
DeleteHow interesting! I have a variety of outdoor brushes, from soft to hard. I notice that they wear down unevenly and this tells me that I most usually sweep from left to right at an angle towards me. The large, stiff yard brush gets a straight push forwards. Inside I get the vac out.
ReplyDeleteAre you left-handed? See my reply to Rian. I have an outdoor 'Yard Broom' in the UK, but it's used in a very haphazard fashion because our patio is so tiny.
DeleteI sweep towards myself with a straight broom. However, when I use a push broom, I sweep away from myself.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like the best of both worlds.
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