Broom with variable stiffness bristles and bristle cleaning device

A broom for cleaning floors or surfaces comprising:

• a handle having an upper portion and a lower portion, and a longitudinal axis therebetween;
• a broom head at the lower portion of said handle, said broom head having a substrate and a plurality of bristles, each bristle having an end attached to said substrate and a free end for cleaning;
• a bristle plate normally disposed adjacent said substrate, said bristle plate having openings through which said plurality of bristles normally extend;
• a bristle plate actuator in constant communication with said handle and disposed for movement along the axis of said handle, said bristle plate actuator being associated with said bristle plate such that downward movement of said bristle plate actuator causes said bristle plate to solely move downward along said plurality of bristles from said attached ends to said free ends to thereby clean said bristles.

A broom for cleaning floors or surfaces comprising:

• a handle having an upper portion and a lower portion, and a longitudinal axis therebetween;
• a broom head at the lower portion of said handle, said broom head having a substrate and a plurality of bristles, each bristle having an end attached to said substrate and a free end for cleaning;
• a secondary cleaning implement provided in addition to said plurality of bristles for cleaning floors or surfaces;
• an actuator positioned concentric with said handle and disposed for movement with respect to said handle, said actuator being associated with said secondary cleaning implement such that downward movement of said actuator with respect to said handle causes said secondary cleaning implement to move downward past said free ends of said plurality of bristles.