Having hardwood floors is relatively expensive and you will want it to last a lifetime to save you the cost of having to replace it. This means that you should clean and maintain it the best you can. Thankfully, any broom vacuum and mop for hardwood floors does the trick. But is sweeping better than vacuuming?

Advantages of Sweeping Hardwood Floors

Cleaning experts will tell you that sweeping is one of the best floor maintenance you can ever do. It is a non-aggressive method, it does not require the use of chemicals, and it removes dust and dirt effectively. 

The following are the benefits of sweeping your floor:

• It keeps your floor clean and safe. Using the best broom for hardwood floors that you can find will prevent dust, debris, and dirt from accumulating on your floor. It will also keep the air quality clean, which is a good practice to avoid respiratory diseases. Leaving your floor dusty will cause dust or debris to rise from the floor and lower the air quality in your home.
  
• It will help you avoid accidents. Dust and dirt settling on the floor for too long can cause the floor to be very slippery, especially on wooden floors. Slipping and falling on the floor because of the dust can cause serious injuries most especially to older people and children. 
• It keeps the floor safe from scratches. Things that accumulate on the floor such as debris can scratch the floor from being moved around or stepped on and dragged along the floor. Immediately clearing the floor off of debris, dust, and dirt through sweeping will help in keeping your floor scratch-free. 
• It is noise free. If you live in an apartment, duplex, or a quiet neighborhood, sweeping the floor is the obvious choice to avoid disrupting the peace in your building or neighborhood. If you are a person who likes to clean really early in the morning or one who has time to clean only really late at night, vacuuming the floor will annoy your neighbors. 
• It is the most affordable tool for cleaning the floor. Even the best brooms for hardwood floors will cost you less than spending for vacuum cleaner, cleaning chemicals, and other similar tools. If you want to take care of your floor but also do not have the means to buy sophisticated tools and cleaning aids, buying a broom to sweep the floor with is your best option. 

Disadvantages of Sweeping Hardwood Floors

While sweeping the floor is the simplest and cheapest way to keep your hardwood floor clean, there are a few things that you should consider before deciding on just using a broom on your floor: 

• Sweeping might not clear your floor from very fine dust, dirt, and debris. The gaps in the bristles may leave very fine dust because of the gaps on the bristles of the broom. 
• It requires more energy and time to clean a house with several rooms and floors. You may need to sweep several times to clear off the dust. You will also need to empty the dustpan every now and then while sweeping the floor. 
• Sweeping causes dust and dirt to spread in the air. As you sweep the floor, dust particles and debris that settled on the floor may fly into the air. If you are a person with allergies, inhaling the dust in the process can cause you to have reactions. 
• There are areas that the broom may not be able to reach. The corners may be a little challenging for the broom to fully clean dust and dirt off. There are also other areas that the broom may not be able to reach because of its limited length. 

Advantages of Vacuuming Hardwood Floors

There are also other ways to keep dust, dirt, and debris from your hardwood floor. Vacuum and mop are also effective tools. Using a vacuum cleaner has lots of advantages such as: 

• It is more efficient and less time consuming since vacuuming cleans a wide area in a short time. You can save a lot of time and energy since you only need to run the vacuum once and it sucks all the dirt, dust, and debris in one go. 
• It clears the floor off the tiniest speck of dust or dirt. Since it is a tool that is especially manufactured to suction off the finest dust or dirt, the floor is clear and clean after vacuuming. In fact, some of the latest models are equipped with HEPA filtering technology that cleans dirt and grime more effectively. 
• It is able to reach corners and most of the areas of your house. Since vacuums come with long cords or bendable hose that connects to the head, you will be able to clean the corners more efficiently and even areas that a broom may not be able to reach. 
• It is multi-functional because vacuum cleaners are not exclusively for floors. And also use to clean other things such as carpets, sofas, couches, and blinds using its attachments. 
• It can help your floor to last longer. Since it effectively cleans the floor without having to use chemicals and other abrasive cleaning tools, your floor will last longer. 

Disadvantages of Vacuuming Hardwood Floors

Vacuuming has a few disadvantages such as:

1. Vacuuming can be noisy and your neighbors may not appreciate you cleaning very early in the morning or very late at night.
2. It is more expensive than a broom.
3. It uses power and will add to your electric bill.
4. You will not be able to use it during power outages.
5. It is not as eco-friendly as a broom since it uses electricity. 

Which is better–Sweeping or Vacuuming Hardwood Floors

It all really depends on your preference, environment, and budget. Sweeping the floor is the most cost-efficient and noise-free way. Vacuuming helps you clean the floor efficiently and in a shorter amount of time. At any rate, both sweeping and vacuuming do a good job in cleaning and maintaining your hardwood floor.