Homeowners with hardwood floors will go to any length to keep the refurbished wood floors squeaky clean & glistening. There are loads of misconceptions regarding brooms and vacuum cleaners when it comes to cleaning hardwood floors. So, in the broom vs. vacuum for hardwood floors debate – which one’s better in terms of long-lasting maintenance?
While brooms are great for the occasional dust-offs and clean-ups, vacuum cleaners are slightly better since they can thoroughly clean through the wood crevices. You can’t always pick the littlest wood specks and dust particles off the hardwood floors with simple brooms. But with vacuum cleaners, you can suck the dirt completely even from the roughest corners, edges, and crevices of the hardwood floors.
But hey, in some cases a broom is the saner option for hardwood floors since constant vacuuming is not preferable. In today’s article, let’s clear all the related confusion and put an end to the broom vs. vacuum for hardwood floors debate.
Broom Vs. Vacuum For Hardwood Floors
While cleaning hardwood floors, using a broom or a vacuum cleaner will yield different results at times. You can get both hardwood-friendly brooms and vacuum cleaners in the stores. And it’s safe to use both types of cleaners on carpets, rugs, rug pads, etc. over hardwood floors.
Let’s go over the key factors of brooms and vacuum cleaners in terms of cleaning hardwood floors –
Convenience Of Use
You can always use a soft-bristled broom over hardwood floors to get rid of the accumulated dust. Every time the floors seem a little dirty, you can get the broom out for an instant clean-up. So, brooms are pretty handy that way.
Again, with vacuum cleaners, you can’t always have the time and energy to plug the motor, clean the waste box, and cleaner to use it on hardwood floors now and then. Vacuum cleaners fit more inside as a part of the weekly clean-up plan.
Portability & Storage
Vacuum cleaners will take more energy and space in terms of portability and storage. They’ll also need timely clean-ups of their own to prevent rusting inside the motor and other parts.
Normal brooms won’t take up as much space and cleaning. But if you’re using electric brooms, they’ll require special maintenance like vacuum cleaners.
Compatibility
Not all types of brooms are good for hardwood floors. For instance – if you attempt to use a broom with hard bristles, the softwood will be covered with scratches in no time at all.
Again, almost all types of vacuum cleaners work well on hardwood floors. There aren’t any possibilities of scratching, chipping, cracking, etc. since the air sucks away the dirt.
Suction Power
With brooms, you’re only replacing the dust from one place to another. Unless you’re actually picking the dirt up using dustpans, you’re just gathering and not cleaning. Furthermore, even after picking up the debris, a portion of it always eventually sticks to the ground.
But with vacuum cleaners, the dust particles will be forced to get sucked inside the cleaner with no other choice. Hence vacuuming is better for cleaning residual dust & debris.
Price Point
Vacuum cleaners are a lot more expensive than your run-of-the-mill wooden stick brooms. Plus, with vacuum cleaners, you’ll need additional resources for maintenance.
You can get electric brooms instead of the normal brooms too. In that case, the price point will be closer to vacuum cleaners and you’ll get better quality service than before.
Battery Life
With vacuum cleaners, you’ll need to worry about battery life. So, in a big house where it can take hours to clean every room, the battery can run out mid-cleaning. Plus, if water gets inside the motor, the batteries can get damaged as well.
Hand-held brooms need no such advanced restrictions. You can use them anytime anyhow to clean the hardwood floors.
Advanced Features
Many vacuum cleaners come with advanced features to clean deep crevices and corners. Evidently, these types of cleaners are costly & not always needed for regular wood cleaning.
Again, with normal brooms, you can’t always reach all the nooks and crannies inside the house. Plus, since brooms have no suction power, you can’t suck the dirt from deep within the wood cracks either. So, if your house is full of furniture items and accessories with lots of hidden corners, it’s best to invest in a high-quality vacuum cleaner alongside brooms.
When To Use Broom On Hardwood Floors?
Brooms are great low-cost options for hardwood floors. You should use brooms on hardwood floors for –
Instant Clean-Ups
Let’s say you accidentally dropped some dried fruits or snacks on the floor. In such cases, you should use a broom for instant cleaning of the floor.
Brooms also work well for high-traffic areas of the house. Hardwood floors with carpets can also benefit from brooms since you can instantly dust the entire area in a few minutes.
Pre-Clean Dusting
You can use brooms to quickly sweep the floor before mopping. Since mopping involves water and liquid cleaners, the presence of dust will make the floor muddy.
So, in these cases, use a broom first to get rid of the dirt. After dusting, you can easily mop the entire floor with water.
When Should You Vacuum Hardwood Floors?
Unlike brooms, vacuum cleaners have a higher dust accumulation capacity. You should vacuum hardwood floors to –
Preserve The Luster
Brooms can sometimes leave scratches on hardwood floors. Harsh use of brooms can ruin the finish as well.
Using a vacuum cleaner instead will help you to preserve the luster and radiance of the hardwood floors.
Dry The Floors
After mopping hardwood floors, you can use a vacuum cleaner to softly dry the surfaces by sucking in the moisture.
You’ll, however, need to make sure that the vacuum cleaner is hardwood-friendly in advance. Some vacuum cleaners can ruin the quality of wood floors by sucking way too hard.
Final Verdict
So, which side are you on in the broom vs. vacuum for hardwood floors argument? If you’re looking for an easy and affordable option for regular dust-offs, we’d suggest getting a good normal/electric broom with super-soft bristles!
On the other hand, if you have a better budget and are looking for deep cleaning options, we’d highly recommend investing in a good quality vacuum cleaner instead. Both work great for hardwood floors if you’re using them correctly.