I was told by the guy who refinished my wood floors to never use a 'straw broom' on them as this is what will put fine scratches in the finish. It makes sense.

I do not know what would make a synthetic broom "inferior". This sounds like a marketing device.

If you get one with soft bristles that have that fuzz glued on the tips, it will pick up dust and hair with no problem.

Those rubber toothed, push brooms work nicely too, without any scratching of the floor.

Brooms with angled heads are easier to work with.

Synthetic brooms can be rinsed clean and dry right away. Corn brooms soak up water and stink it they get wet and take forever to dry out. I used to use a corn broom to scrub my garage floor when I hosed it out, but find that the rubber toothed push brooms scrub just as well and always look nice and clean, hanging from their hook.

A "real broom" is the best!....Made out of broom straw. Doesn't scratch my floor....and sweeps really clean and doesn't have the static issues to deal with.
Find a crafstman and go for the real thing!
Linda c

I find the ones from the Dollar store are the best and softest & of course the Cheapest!

The regular straw brooms work best on the decks and cement and on unfinished wood floors. But for me the good thick black nylon angled ones work best on the finished hard wood interior floors. Maybe it would be best to try some different ones on different surfaces and see what works best for you. If you find one that you really love using pease let me know because I haven't had that experience. Tache

I have a Williams Sonomoa broom that is terrific for undercupboards. My cabinets are painted and it is rounded with rounded protected ends. It was not inexpensive, but I am really pleased with it. I have a central vac, but this works better on the hardwood floors. Can never believe how much dust I sweep up, even with daily cleaning and only 2 of us in the home.

We had a corn broom growing up and I hated it. Seems like we spent more time and energy picking up lost straws than going after the dirt. I have a red Velida that I use now... very nice. I like the angled way it fits under the cabinets and it gets all the dust. I generally hate all things new and modern for the house... I'm a very "old fasioned" 23 year old, but I think a corn broom is for the birds. It's high praise indeed for me to give anything modern a thumbs up! Maybe a corn broom is good for sweeping up outside. I'll tell you the most interesting broom I've ever seen before... a Salton Wings Broom. It is stylish with translucent plastic shroud (some may think tacky), and if you turn the handle the "wings" spread out to increase the sweeping surface. I saw one in Winn Dixie... got a few looks when I tried it out sweeping up the whole aisle. It's pretty heavy and I don't think the plastic mechanics would hold up over time... but check out the link for a laugh :O)

Here is a link that might be useful: Wings Broom from Salton

Here's a link to the broom I have... had it for five years... works fine and I like the way it looks. Just store it sitting on the handle or hanging up so that the bristles dont' flatten... they are nylon.

Here is a link that might be useful: my broom