My Dad's Decades-Old Sweeping Trick Is So Clever (I Use It All the Time!)

"No matter how many exist, there seems to never be a shortage of cleaning hacks and tricks. When I was growing up I mostly learned these from my mom, and any new knowledge I gain is typically from a viral video I saw . Last month, however, I learned a new cleaning trick from my dad, whose hair-styling experience came in handy for more than just a haircut."

"During a recent visit, my dad, as he typically does, swept my hair off his bathroom floor into a dustpan. He then got a piece of tape to clean up that pesky line of debris that never makes it onto the dustpan. I raised my forehead in total surprise, telling him I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of that before. He said it was something an old coworker taught him, and expressed the same surprise that I had never noticed he did this."

"I have always used a paper towel to clean up this line of dust and debris and always felt guilty about "wasting" a paper towel. Once I witnessed my dad's cleaning trick, I knew this would be my go-to method - especially because I seldom use tape except to wrap gifts. Because the adhesive works so well at trapping those tiny particles, I also figured a lint roller could be useful if tape is not an option."

I learned cleaning hacks from family and viral videos. My father worked as a hairstylist from age nine to nineteen and kept mannequin heads from cosmetology school. During a visit he swept hair into a dustpan then used a piece of tape to remove the thin line of debris the dustpan missed. That technique trapped tiny particles more effectively than my previous paper-towel method, which felt wasteful. I realized a lint roller could serve the same purpose when tape is unavailable. I left with trimmed ends, a simple cleanup method, and a sentimental reminder of my father.

Read at Apartment Therapy