Are the beechwood handles dishwasher safe?

No. Wipe the beechwood handle with a damp cloth and dry it right away, and never leave a brush standing in water. The Pro sink strainer is the item in this section that is listed as dishwasher safe; the brushes, brooms, dustpans and duster are cleaned by hand.

What is the difference between the three brush and dustpan sets?

Size and reach. The broom and dustpan set is full height for floors, the hand brush and dustpan set is a counter and car-seat pair with soft bristles and an iron pan, and the mini set is the smallest of the three for a corner or a drawer. There is also a hand brush on its own if you already have a pan.

How does the never-clog sink strainer work?

Its drainage holes sit around a raised center post: scraps collect in the basket while water keeps running through instead of backing up over a flat screen. The post doubles as a handle, so you lift the strainer out with one finger and tip it into the bin without touching what it caught.

Is a feather duster better than a cloth?

For detailed and fragile surfaces, yes. Natural feathers hold fine dust rather than pushing it into the air, and the duster reaches into carved frames, slats and shade pleats where a folded cloth skips. For a flat wipe-down of a counter or a shelf, a damp cloth still does more.

Copco Brooms, Brushes & Dustpans with Beechwood Handles

Four ways to sweep, by the size of the mess

Whole floor: the full-size broom and dustpan set, beechwood handle, $77.99 at the last check.
Crumbs on a table or a car seat: the hand brush and dustpan set with soft bristles and an iron pan, $27.97.
A corner by the door: the mini dustpan and brush set, $14.79 — small enough to keep in a drawer.
Shelves, sills and stairs: the standalone beechwood hand brush, $13.02, with no pan to find first.

The sets pair a brush and a pan that clip together, so one hand carries both. Soft bristles are the point: they lift fine dust off a smooth floor instead of pushing it around.

Beechwood, and how to keep it

The handles are beechwood — a hardwood that takes a daily grip without splintering and keeps its shape when a brush hangs on a hook. Wipe it with a damp cloth and dry it; don't soak the handle or leave the brush head-down in water, which is what loosens bristles over time.

The feather duster has the same handle and natural feathers, which hold dust instead of flicking it into the air. It is the tool for lampshades, picture frames and the top of a cabinet, where a cloth either misses the detail or knocks something over.

Sponges and the drain

Two items in this section never touch the floor. The Basics scrub sponges come six to a pack in blue, $4.99 — one side for scrubbing, the other for wiping, and cheap enough to retire a sponge on schedule rather than when it starts to smell.

The Pro sink strainer, $10.26, sits in the drain and catches food scraps while water runs through. It measures 4.5 by 4.5 by 2 inches, fits most kitchen drains, and lifts out with one finger on the raised center post. It is dishwasher safe, which is more than can be said for most strainers.

Cleaning around the sink

Drying racks, drain boards and the over-the-sink colander live in sink and dishware. The strainer above is the one piece of this section that belongs to the sink itself. Scraps caught in it usually came out of a canister, and those are in food storage.