A whisk broom is a small handheld broom with short, stiff bristles, designed for quick cleanup jobs in tight spaces. Unlike a full-sized broom that you push across the floor, a whisk broom fits in one hand and works more like a large brush. You might use one to sweep crumbs off a table, brush dirt from a car seat, or clean sawdust from a workbench.

The word whisk captures how these brooms work: with quick, light, sweeping motions rather than long pushes. Before powerful vacuum cleaners became common, people kept whisk brooms throughout their houses for spot cleaning. Barbers used them to brush hair clippings from customers' necks and shoulders. Shop owners swept their front steps with them.

Today, you'll still find whisk brooms in workshops, garages, and kitchen drawers. They're perfect for those moments when getting out a full vacuum seems like overkill: when you've spilled flour while baking, when your dog tracks in a bit of mud, or when you need to clear debris from a car's floorboard. The small size that makes a whisk broom less powerful also makes it more convenient for dozens of small cleaning tasks.