Last Updated on August 16, 2021 by
A broom and a brush are somewhat alike. A broom, of course, is used for cleaning only, but many brushes serve this purpose, too. However, the brush was invented many thousands of years before the broom. The caveman used brushes made of a bunch of animal hairs attached to the end of a stick. The kitchen broom was originally a tuft of twigs, rushes, or fibers tied to a long handle. In colonial times in America, this was the kind of broom that was used. And in many parts of Europe today, you can still see streets and floors of homes being swept with such brooms.
The kitchen broom as we now know it is made from stalks of corn and this kind of broom is an American invention. There is a story about the origin of it that may or may not be true. According to this story, a friend in India sent Benjamin Franklin one of the clothes brushes made and used in that country. It looked very much like a whisk broom.
A few seeds still clung to its straws, and Franklin planted them. They sprouted—and within a few years broom com was being cultivated. One day an old bachelor of Hadley, Massachusetts, needed a new broom. He cut a dozen stalks of broom corn, tied them together, and swept out his house.
After that, he never again used a birch broom. In fact, he began to make corn brooms and sell them to his neighbors. When he died in 1843, broom making was an important industry, and the town of Hadley was growing nearly a thousand acres of broom com a year! Today, much of the work of broom making is still done by hand.
FAQ
What Are Brooms Made From?
Brooms are made from a plant called broomcorn.
Who caused the invention of the broom?
Answer- The broom, an ancient tool dating back to 2300 B.C., has been used since then as a means of sweeping and cleaning. Breaking down this simple device into an origin story, we can say that it is believed that the broom was invented by the Chinese, who used it in the 3rd century B.C. to clean the floors of their temples.
Who invented the broom and dustpan?
Answer- African American inventor Lloyd Ray (born in 1860) patented a new and useful improvement in dustpans.
What was used before brooms?
Answer- Before 1797, brooms in America were home and hand-made. Tree branches and brush were often used to sweep the floor and clean the ashes from the fireplaces. Sometimes a crude brooms were fashioned by tying something on a stick or handle: straw, hay, fine twigs, or corn husks.
What is the end of a broom called?
Answer- The brush cap is a plastic “shell” that fits over the top of the brush. It is used to hold the brush bristles in place. The cap provides extra protection for the joint between the shaft and the brush. It also gives the broom a neater appearance.
