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Article Specs
Article ID: 3798
VoxAcct: 164239
Section: basics
Age Group: Adult
Days Up: 2,873
Times Read: 32,689
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Besom-Broom Care
Author: David Nelson
Posted: January 12th. 2002
Times Viewed: 32,689
Whether you use your broom to sweep your home of dust and cobwebs, to help your ceremony or ritual, or simply to decorate your home, you might wonder how to keep your broom in its best condition for years to come. Some broommakers have this advice for you and your broom.
Cleaning your broom brush if it's made of unnatural fiber like plastic is easy -- use mild soap and hot water. But cleaning your broom brush if it's made of natural fiber like broomcorn, as most ceremonial and decorative brooms are, can seem a little more intimidating.
If you use your broom to sweep, its brush will collect dirt and dust in the fibers which will be abrasive to them and make them brittle and dry. For this kind of broom, soak the fibers once a month in sudsy hot water for a few seconds, rinse with clear cold water and shake the fibers gently to remove excess water. If you use your broom for ceremony or decoration only, soak the fibers once every six months in clear hot water for about 15 minutes, rinse with clear cold water and shake the fibers gently to remove excess water. Because the fibers absorb some of the water, the brush flexibility will be replenished. Hang your broom indoors to dry with the fibers down to keep them from bending.
If you use or leave your broom outside in a damp climate, a solution of bleach and clear cold water scrubbed into the fibers will remove and inhibit the growth of mildew.
When your broom is dry, apply a thin layer of linseed oil to the broom stick unless it's covered by paint or bark. Apply a thin layer of linseed oil also to the outer brush fibers using a clean cotton cloth with a small amount of oil and wiping gently in the direction of the fibers.
For broom repairs, consult your broom's maker, another broom maker or join the Yahoo! Group "Brooms" (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brooms). With this kind of care, your broom will serve you for many years and might become a future heirloom to another broom caretaker.
David Nelson
Salt Lake City
david.nelson22@att.net.
Bio: David is a scientific Pantheist with special attention to Gaianism, Paganism and Taoism living in Salt Lake City.
ABOUT...
David Nelson
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Author's Profile: To learn more about David Nelson - Click HERE
Other Articles: David Nelson has posted 2 additional articles- View them?
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