Sweeping

When you know how to do it thoroughly and confidently, sweeping the floor can be a gratifying chore, no matter your level of vision. So, let’s get right to it.

The first thing you’ll want to know is what’s on the floor. Stepping on something gritty, sticky or crunchy lets you know you’ve got a dirty floor. Of course, when you have a cleaning schedule in place, you won’t be waiting until it gets to this point. And most likely, you won’t have to scrub or work as hard if you sweep regularly.

First, clear the area of small objects like shoes, books, and toys. Now, put a mark near the top of the handle with contrasting tape or a raised mark you can feel on the broad side of the broom to know your broom is positioned correctly.

Use furniture, appliances, doors, and walls as landmarks to divide the room into 3 to 4-foot sections. Keeping the sections 3 to 4 feet makes the area easier to manage just by extending your arms with the broom. And if you’re not ready to attempt cleaning an entire room, just practice in a small area first.

To get a feel for it, practice by putting some dry cereal or macaroni on the floor. You can hear and feel as you sweep them up.

Now when you’re ready to get sweeping in earnest, choose your end point. Then place a chair there to mark the spot. This will also keep you from walking through the pile of dirt. Also, make sure you leave the whisk broom or hand brush and garbage can at your end point.

Next, go back to your starting point and decide which direction, left or right, you want to move. You’ll move in a grid pattern. When you reach the end of the section, step back and sweep in the opposite direction. Use overlapping strokes, and keep moving back until you have swept the entire area.

Landmarks, like a table or doorway, can help you keep track of your progress. Each time you reach one, it helps orient you to the room so that you know where you are in relation to your starting point. Continue on to your next landmark, for instance, the sink.

Then, repeat these steps until you’ve swept the entire room. Sweep up the collected dirt and debris into the dustpan and dump it in the trash. Just make sure to keep the dustpan level and rest it on the rim of the garbage can for accuracy. And if you have a hand vacuum, you can use it to vacuum up the collected dirt. Finally, check with your hand or bare feet to make sure all the dirt has been swept up.

Now, instead of regular cleaning, let’s say you spill something, like rice or cereal, and want to sweep it right up. Here’s what you do. Listen to where it fell, and whether it spread out or fell into one pile. Now, before you make a move, take note of where you are in the room. Are you closer to the pantry, the sink, the stove?

Once you know where you are, carefully move and get the broom, whisk broom, dustpan and trash can. Go back to the area and use the broom to locate the edge of the debris. If you have a hard time finding it with the broom, you can use your hand or bare feet to find it. Place the trash can next to your feet. Then, put the dustpan and whisk broom on the side away from the spill. Make the letter V with your feet by keeping your heels fairly close together. This means your heels will be about 4 inches apart, but your toes will be about a foot apart.

Reach out in front of you with the broom and start slowly sweeping the debris into the open space between your feet. Using overlapping strokes, reach out to your left and right and sweep the debris toward the opening between your feet using a fan pattern. Imagine an open fan. The area you are sweeping is like the wide, spread-out part of the fan. The space between your feet is like the narrow part of the fan that you hold in your hand. With this technique, you can sweep a specific area without moving.

Next, you’ll set your broom to the side and grab the whisk broom and dustpan. Take a step back and sweep up the collected debris. Place the dustpan next to the trash can where your feet were before you stepped back. Using the same technique of overlapping strokes, sweep the debris into the dustpan.

Repeat this technique, staying in the same area and sweeping the debris into the space between your feet until you've collected all the debris into the dustpan and put it into the trash can. Use a hand vacuum or wet paper towel to clean up any little bits left on the floor.

As always, contact a learning expert if you have questions or your own tips to share. Of course, as with anything new, give yourself time, patience, and practice and you’ll get there.