Place a Towel on Your Broom for This Surprisingly Useful Cleaning Hack
If you have ever noticed dust and cobwebs collecting in the corners of your ceiling, along crown molding, or above doorways, you already know how annoying those spots can be to clean. A regular duster may not reach them, and climbing onto a chair or ladder just to wipe a ceiling corner isn’t worth the risk.
There is, however, a much simpler solution: wrap a microfiber cloth around the head of a broom.
It turns an ordinary broom into a long-reach duster that can help you clean high walls, ceilings, corners, and other hard-to-reach areas while keeping your feet safely on the floor. Cleaning professionals and home-care guides recommend similar cloth-on-broom techniques for removing dust from high surfaces.
Why This Simple Trick Works
A broom gives you the reach, while the cloth provides the surface that actually catches the dust.
Instead of simply knocking dust loose and sending it into the air, a microfiber cloth can grab and hold onto fine particles as you move it across the surface. That’s why microfiber is commonly recommended for dusting walls and ceilings.
The trick is especially useful for:
- Ceiling corners
- Crown molding
- High walls
- Above doorways
- Baseboards
- Behind large pieces of furniture
- Cobwebs in hard-to-reach corners
And you don’t need a special cleaning tool to try it.
What You’ll Need
- A broom with a reasonably flat head
- A clean microfiber cloth or lightweight towel
- Two rubber bands or clothespins
Optional: A spray bottle with plain water for surfaces that need a slightly damp wipe.
I would skip the fabric-softener mixture often suggested for this hack. Fabric softener can leave a residue on surfaces, and there’s no need for it when your main goal is simply to capture dust. A clean microfiber cloth is the better starting point.
How to Turn Your Broom Into a Long-Reach Duster
1. Wrap the Cloth Around the Broom
Lay the microfiber cloth flat and place the broom head in the center.
Fold the sides of the cloth around the bristles so the entire cleaning surface is covered.
2. Secure It Tightly
Use two rubber bands, hair ties, or clothespins to hold the cloth in place.
Give it a quick tug before you start cleaning. If the cloth slides around easily, secure it again.
You don’t want the cloth falling off while you’re reaching across a ceiling.
3. Start With Dry Dusting
For ordinary dust and cobwebs, start with a dry microfiber cloth.
This is important because adding moisture too early can turn loose dust into a smear, particularly on painted walls.
Work from the top of the room downward, so anything that falls doesn’t land on an area you’ve already cleaned. This top-to-bottom approach is also recommended by cleaning professionals for walls and ceilings.
4. Work Slowly Across the Ceiling
Run the covered broom gently across the ceiling, paying particular attention to:
- Corners
- Around light fixtures
- Along crown molding
- Above windows and doors
- Areas where cobwebs are visible
Use light pressure. You’re trying to collect dust—not scrub the ceiling.
5. Move Down to the Walls
Once the ceiling is finished, work your way down the walls.
For painted walls that only need dusting, a dry microfiber cloth is usually enough. If you need to remove actual grime or fingerprints, lightly dampen the cloth rather than soaking it.
Too much moisture can damage some paint finishes or leave streaks, so use as little as necessary.
What About a Damp Cloth?
A slightly damp cloth can be useful when you’re dealing with more than dust.
For example, kitchen walls may accumulate a thin layer of cooking residue that doesn’t come off easily with dry dusting.
In that situation:
- Remove the loose dust first.
- Lightly dampen the microfiber cloth.
- Wring it out thoroughly.
- Wipe the surface gently.
- Follow with a dry cloth if the surface remains damp.
Don’t saturate painted ceilings or walls. Excess moisture can cause streaking and, on some surfaces, damage.
A Better Way to Handle Cobwebs
If you’re mainly dealing with cobwebs, you don’t necessarily need a cleaning solution at all.
Use the cloth-covered broom dry and gently sweep the corners where the webs have collected.
For long, dangling cobwebs, a vacuum with a soft brush attachment can also work well. The important thing is to avoid aggressively rubbing the web into the wall, which can leave a dirty-looking smear.
Don’t Use This Trick on Every Surface
The broom-and-cloth method is great for ordinary painted walls and ceilings, but delicate surfaces need more care.
Be particularly cautious with:
- Textured or fragile ceilings
- Wallpaper that isn’t washable
- Freshly painted surfaces
- Decorative finishes
- Areas around electrical fixtures
For wallpaper, check whether the material is washable before introducing moisture. Some wallpapers are best cleaned using dry methods.
And if you’re cleaning around a ceiling light or other electrical fixture, keep the cloth dry and avoid pushing moisture toward the fixture.
The One Mistake That Makes This Hack Less Effective
Don’t use a dirty towel.
Once the cloth becomes covered with dust, you’re essentially dragging yesterday’s dirt across the next section of the wall.
Keep a few clean microfiber cloths nearby and change them when they become visibly dirty.
When you’re finished, remove the cloth and wash it before using it again.
How Often Should You Do This?
You don’t need to deep-clean your ceilings every week.
For most homes, a quick dusting every few weeks is enough to prevent cobwebs and visible dust from building up. High-traffic rooms, homes with pets, and areas that collect noticeable dust may need attention more often.
A regular light cleaning is much easier than waiting until the ceiling corners are covered in dust and cobwebs.
Make the Hack Even Easier
If your broom head is awkward or too narrow, a flat mop can actually work even better because its broad surface gives the microfiber cloth more contact with the wall or ceiling.
That’s essentially the same idea behind commercial wall and ceiling cleaning tools: a long handle combined with a microfiber cleaning head.
But if all you have is a basic broom, there’s no reason to buy another tool just to reach a few dusty corners.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes the best cleaning hacks don’t require buying anything.
A broom + microfiber cloth can give you enough reach to tackle dusty ceilings, cobweb-filled corners, high walls, and other overlooked areas without dragging out a ladder.
Just remember the simple formula: dry first, use very little moisture when needed, work from top to bottom, and keep the cloth clean.
That five-minute trick can make those hard-to-reach areas much easier to keep under control.
