Swiffer cleaning products are everywhere. Here’s the Healthy Housekeeping take on the big ones:
The WetJet
I see the WetJet all the time. I haven’t looked into the ingredients of the cleaning solution. I don’t even think I have to. There couldn’t possibly be anything good in there. But, all the same, I don’t mind using the WetJet, because I don’t have to touch it anyway, and it’s terribly convenient. There’s no sloshy bucket, my hands stay dry, and I can just throw away the mess when I’m done.
There is one thing that I really dislike about this mop, though. It’s more of an ethical scruple than a cleaning problem, really. When used on a light-colored or shiny surface, the product streaks. I noticed this time and time again, so I went to the manual to see if they had any pointers. The manual told me this: use more of the cleaning solution.
Now, I’ve used a heck of a lot of different cleaning products on floors, and this is not problem I encounter very often. I don’t think that I should have to use more of the product than is necessary to clean the surface. I like to economize, and if “enough” isn’t “enough,” then I have to assume that the product is a dud. I’m forced to wonder whether the good folks at Swiffer may not have designed the product to streak – unless you use a whole lot of it, and thus have to buy more of it. Way to capitalize, guys!
But, when I find a way to refill their containers (which seems a challenge about on par with breaking into Fort Knox) with my own cleaning products, then I’ll buy one for my own house right away.
The Swiffer Sweeper
The tool itself is kind of flimsy, and it creates a whole lot of waste.
The Sweeper is only good for two things: dust and hair. The dry cloths do a pretty good job getting what the broom or the vacuum may have missed, and it can reach pretty far underneath furniture. The cloths also work very well as dust rags.
I don’t like using the wet cloths, though. Each cloth is only good for about 100 square feet before they dry out, and they have the same streaking problem as the WetJet. But it’s worse with the cloths, because with them, you can’t control how much moisture you use.
The SweeperVac
The SweeperVac is alright, I guess. It’s great for pet hair, but anything bigger may or may not actually get sucked up. The dirt cup is easy to empty (if a little small), and the dry sweeping cloth behind the vacuum is easy to change and does a decent job getting any dust or hair that the vacuum may have missed.
It’s not a very powerful vacuum, though, and this product tends to peter out pretty quickly. After a while, the battery weakens and stops holding a charge. This process can be slowed by remembering to take it off the charger when the battery is full – but the decline is inevitable.
Swiffer Dusters
I love the Swiffer Dusters. A lot. But get the extended handle, and don’t get the smelly ones.
Swiffer has also done something pretty interesting lately. They’ve teamed up with Febreze, creating odor-fighting mopping solutions and dusters. The most common Febreze-tainted Swiffer products seem to be “lavender” scented, but I know what lavender smells like, and they missed the mark by a light year or two. The Swiffer-Febreze alliance seems kind of silly to me. I’ve never encountered a hard floor that retained a bad smell once it’s been cleaned. If the floor is clean, then it shouldn’t stink – right? So do we really need to coat it in Febreze? And to put it Febreze on a feather duster? Seriously? Do people really have odor problems with knick-knacks, window sills, or lamp-shades? This isn’t innovation. It’s a shameless gimmick!
Tags: Austin, Denton, DFW, eco-friendly, green cleaning, healthy, housekeeping, Swiffer
Type one: the loop brush. No, no, no. These bristles will warp in no time at all, and leave that abrasive wire frame fully exposed. This can really scratch up your toilet basin.
Type two: the round brush. This is a good shape. Even if the bristles do bend back a little, there just isn’t much chance of the wire (if there even is any) damaging your toilet. There are also several different ways to store your round brush. The container pictured above is a good one. I like a shallow holder that’s easy to access and allows the brush to dry completely – you may have to empty out any standing water that pools in them between uses, but that’s not a big deal. Beware any fully covered container: your brush will take longer to dry, and this promotes the growth of mildew. There are also containers that open with a hinge, at the top or the bottom, but I don’t like these, simply because they often require a little more handling to operate – and I don’t really want to touch it. Any container (like the one pictured below) that suspends the brush from a niche in its top is generally going to be more trouble than it’s worth. Unless you get the brush really solidly placed in the container, it’s liable to fall over or fall out.
Type three: the round brush with rim attachment. I don’t mind these. The extra loop on top is meant to get way up under the rim of your toilet. It’s a great idea – some brushes don’t have a chance of getting way up there. The only problem is that these attachments only fit certain basin shapes. If it doesn’t fit, then it just gets in the way. If you’re really picky about potties, though, experiment with a few different brands and see if you can find one that fits yours.
Type four: the fan brush. These are okay by me. Since they’re more compact, they can get a little further into any nooks and crannies than some larger brushes. I still prefer the round brush, though. It seems to me that more bristles – and therefore more contact with the basin – will make for a better clean.
Type five: the scary chemical disposable brush things. Some get thrown away, and some of them flush. Either way, I would prefer not to deal with them.
