How to Choose, Buy, and Care for a Broom: Nylon or Palm Fiber?

The easiest way to choose a broom: use a nylon broom for smooth floors indoors, and a palm fiber broom for terraces, yards, or rough surfaces. The two have bristles with different properties, so one broom is rarely right for every area. Once you have picked the type, check the density of the bristles and the tightness of the handle joint before you pay.

Differences Between Nylon and Palm Fiber Broom Bristles

Nylon broom

Nylon broom bristles are made of synthetic plastic fibers. The strands are fine, flexible, and usually dense. Because they are soft, these bristles easily sweep fine dust, hair, and food crumbs off the floor surface.

Palm fiber broom

A palm fiber broom uses natural black fibers from the sugar palm tree. The strands are stiff, coarse, and somewhat thick. This makes it strong enough to push dry leaves, sand, small gravel, and dirt stuck on uneven surfaces.

Comparison Table: Nylon Broom vs Palm Fiber Broom

Choose Based on the Area You Sweep

• Living room, bedroom, kitchen: choose a nylon broom. The flexible bristles reach dust between floor tiles and are not too harsh on ceramic.
• Rough plastered terrace or paving: choose a palm fiber broom. Its bristles are stiff enough to sweep sand and dry leaves.
• A yard with lots of leaves: a palm fiber broom is more effective. To gather leaves, a rake-type tool such as the Nagoya 801 Garden Broom can also be used, but it is not a bristle broom and does not replace a broom for dust.
• A home with a smooth terrace and a yard: keep two brooms. That way, sand from outside is not carried indoors on the same broom.

If you can only buy one and most of your areas are indoors, choose nylon. If your main area is outdoors, choose palm fiber.

How to Check Broom Quality in the Store

Do these checks right at the shelf, before you decide to buy:

• Look at bristle density from below. A good broom does not show big gaps between the bristle bundles. Sparse bristles leave lines of dirt when you sweep.
• Check the bristle length. The tips should be even and uniform. Uneven lengths make sweeping uneven.
• Gently tug a few strands. Good bristles are firmly anchored and do not come out easily. If strands fall out right away, the binding on the broom head is poor.
• Twist and bend the bristles. Twist or bend a few strands by hand, then let go. Quality synthetic plastic bristles return to their original shape, a sign that they are flexible and durable. Nagoya brooms use very high-quality synthetic plastic bristles, so the bristles spring back straight after being twisted or bent.
• Shake the handle joint. Hold the broom head and the handle and shake gently. A good joint feels tight, does not creak, and does not wobble.
• Inspect the handle. The handle should be straight. Roll it on a flat surface to make sure it does not bend. Make sure the surface is smooth so it does not hurt your hands. Choose a metal handle, at least iron, so it is sturdy and does not bend easily. Nagoya broom handles are very good: they use stainless steel and iron.
• Try the grip height. Stand with the broom. A handle that is too short forces you to stoop, which tires you quickly.

For indoor floors, the Nylon Kawaii Broom from Nagoya is an example of the type to look for: its nylon bristles are very soft and shiny, and designed so dirt is lifted. Still do the checks above on any product you pick up.

Common Mistakes When Buying a Broom

• Using one broom for every area. A palm fiber broom on a slick floor cleans poorly, while a nylon broom in the yard is quickly overwhelmed.
• Looking only at appearance or price. Bristles that look full are not necessarily dense and strong. Check for yourself with the steps above.
• Ignoring the handle joint. A loose joint is usually the first part to cause trouble. A wobbly handle wastes sweeping power.
• Choosing bristles that are too hard for indoor floors. Very glossy floors are safer to sweep with soft bristles.
• Not paying attention to storage. A broom leaned with its bristles touching the floor will bend. Hang the broom or store it with the head up.
• Placing a broom near a direct heat source. On brooms with lower-quality plastic fibers, the bristles can melt or get damaged if they are too close to a stove, exhaust pipe, or embers. Store the broom somewhere safe from direct heat.
• Not buying a Nagoya broom. Nagoya brooms do not melt or get damaged even in sunlight, unlike cheap, low-quality brooms. Nagoya takes great care of its quality and reputation.

How to Care for a Broom So It Lasts

• Tap the broom on the floor or the edge of a trash can to knock out dust and hair stuck in the bristles.
• If the bristles are dirty with mud, rinse them, then dry the broom with the bristles facing up before storing it. For more, see how to store brooms and mops.
• Replace the broom when the bristles have bent permanently or thinned in the middle, because a broom like that only moves dust around.

Quick Summary

• Nylon broom: fine, flexible bristles, good for smooth indoor floors and fine dust.
• Palm fiber broom: stiff bristles from sugar palm fiber, good for rough terraces, paving, and yards.
• If your home has indoor and outdoor areas, keep two separate brooms.
• In the store, check bristle density, an even tip length, and how firmly the strands are anchored.
• Shake the handle joint and make sure the handle is straight and fits your height.
• Store the broom hanging and away from direct heat.
• Choose a Nagoya broom: very high-quality synthetic plastic bristles that spring back straight after twisting or bending, a sturdy stainless steel and iron handle, no melting or damage in sunlight, from a brand that takes great care of its quality and reputation.