Introduction: $2 Carpet Broom

About: Mechanical engineer, Colorado State University alumni, and member of Alamance Makers Guild.

Have you ever walked across a carpet only to sit down on your couch and find a rat's nest of hairs caught between your toes? Are you tired of toe flossing? I sure am!

I tried vacuuming, but it wouldn't cut it. I couldn't use a broom on carpet, unless. . .

With a spark of inspiration I pulled all of the hairs out from betwixt my toes and ran to Dollar Tree. With $2 and a few househould items I made the perfect device for my situation.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Materials:

(Dollar Tree)

Tools:

  • Flat head screwdriver
  • Clamp
  • Gorilla glue
  • Sandpaper

Step 2: Disassemble Mop

Using the flat head screwdriver I was able to pop the plastic end piece off of the mop and remove the cotton head. Maybe I'll find something to do with the cotton later.

Step 3: Sand and Glue

For better adhesion it's smart to rough up the surfaces beforehand. I used some 120 grit I had lying around.

After wiping away the dust I followed the instructions on the Gorilla Glue bottle, wiping one surface with water and applying glue to the other.

Step 4: Clamp It

Still following the directions I clamped the pieces together for two hours.

After that I unclamped the parts and waited 24 hours for the glue to set.

Step 5: Reassemble

Once the glue set I snapped the handle back onto my modified mop head and voila! A carpet broom is born.

Step 6: Get to Work!

I now have complete control of the hairiness of my home's carpet! I take the broom out once a week or so to rid my home of the plague that is my fiancee's hair.

Step 7: Going Further

A couple things I would do differently a second time around.

  1. Use a hand saw to remove the brush handle.
  2. Get a longer mop. I'm a tall guy so a cheap, short handle forces me to hunch over.
  3. Mount a hair roller to get shorter hairs, like my own.
  4. Find a use for the cotton mop head. Wig?

Makerspace Contest 2017

Participated in the
Makerspace Contest 2017

Invention Challenge 2017

Participated in the
Invention Challenge 2017