I tried this clever hack that makes sweeping up hair easier — and you just need this kitchen staple

Man sweeping floor with brown mop and red dustpan
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Sweeping our floors to keep them spotless is an essential part of household cleaning. And since I have mostly hardwood and tiled floors, I’d find the daily build-up of dirt, food crumbs, and dust balls a constant battle. Perhaps the one gripe I have is prising my hair strands out of the broom bristles, making the task harder to pick up excess off my flooring.

That was until I discovered this clever hack online that involves a simple kitchen staple — plastic wrap. The idea is that the clumps of hair and debris will stick to the plastic wrap, rather than within the bristles, making the task quicker and less messy.

In addition, this will keep the broom head clean and hair-free, and it will eliminate the risk of spreading dirt around. Win-win! I thought I’d give this hack a go on my kitchen floor to find out. Here’s what happened.

Using plastic wrap to sweep floors

Rolls of plastic wrap and dispenser

Rolls of plastic wrap and dispenser (Image credit: Amazon/DriveLink)

First, I cleaned my dusty broom head so that the plastic wrap would have a better chance at sticking to it. Next, I wrapped a large piece of plastic wrap around the broom head, securing it in place at the top. Admittedly, it took a few tries before getting the right fit, so you'll need to exercise patience.

Broom with wrap

Broom with wrap (Image credit: Future)

Next, I got to work at sweeping the dust on my floor, using my dustpan as I normally would. Although it felt weird to be sweeping with plastic, I noticed that the hair strands and dust had immediately stuck to the wrap.

After the task was complete, I simply unwrapped it from the broom head and put it straight into the trash can, leaving me with hair-free bristles. This clever barrier trick is a great way to keep my broom clean, and will save me time and effort. Best of all, I won't need to get my hands dirty again.

Granted, I won't be wasting all my plastic wrap for cleaning purposes, and I wouldn't recommend this to be a long-term habit. However, if you have shedding pets or simply don't want the bother of getting out your vacuum cleaner, this is a much quicker, fail-proof way of picking up hair.

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Cynthia Lawrence
Content Editor, Homes

As the Homes Content Editor, Cynthia Lawrence covers all things homes, interior decorating, and garden-related. She has a wealth of editorial experience testing the latest, ‘must-have’ home appliances, writing buying guides and the handy ‘how to’ features. 


Her work has been published in various titles including, T3, Top Ten Reviews, Ideal Home, Real Homes, Livingetc. and House Beautiful, amongst many.


With a rather unhealthy obsession for all things homes and interiors, she also has an interior design blog for style inspiration and savvy storage solutions (get rid of that clutter!). When she’s not testing cool products, she’ll be searching online for more decor ideas to spruce up her family home or looking for a great bargain!


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