Dustpan, How Do You Do What You Do?

1. Sometimes I stand on the inside of the dustpan with one foot as I brush the dirt into the pan. The weight of my foot helps the dustpan make more complete contact with the ground so that it is harder for any dust to slide underneath. Your foot may get a little dirty though!
2. It is often more effective to not only push the broom towards the dustpan, but to simultaneously push the dustpan towards the broom as well. Wait until the broom pushing the dirt has just about reached the dustpan and then slide the dustpan to scoop the pile while you push the pile in with the broom. Sweeping is a science.
3. It can easier to use a smaller brush to push the pile you've accumulated into the dustpan. You can often buy the dustpan and this small brush as a pair. These small brushes are sometimes called dusters. Having this smaller brush helps because you have more control when you are close to the tools.
4. The dustpans used by restaurants and retail stores have a long handle attached so that the person using them has to bend down less. Theses are called upright dustpans. They are available to the general public as well and may be a good investment for you if you would rather bend down less. They may also make the process easier if you don't have a short broom because you can stand which makes it easier to push the dustpan and broom towards each other.
5. The final option for getting full efficiency out of your dustpan? A high-tech dustpan. There is a dustpan that has a built in small cordless vacuum that sucks up the last bit of dust. It looks just like a dustpan, not much chunkier. This cordless dustpan is battery operated and available for about $25. It's definitely more expensive than a regular dustpan, but may be worth the extra cash if you're still pushing that extra bit of dust and dirt under the rug instead of into the dustpan.