YOUR CLEANING TOOLS

Spread suds, not grime! The stuff in your utility closet needs to be washed too. Here's how to get each job done.

- ERICA FINAMORE

Brooms

Sometimes we get so swept up in things, we forget that our brooms need TLC! After every few uses, run the bristles through the teeth on your dust pan, if it has them, or remove the dust bunnies and hair with an old widetooth comb. Every few weeks, dunk the broom's business end into a bucket of warm water and a few drops of dish soap and swish it around. Rinse it with water and let it dry for 24 hours before using it again. As bristles become dull, bent, or frayed, grab your scissors and trim the ends.

Mopheads