When it comes to cleaning floors, we have an abundant number of options available. However one of the leading options in the industry has become Swiffer. Is it really better than a regular mop?
I got both and did a quick comparison. Here’s what I found.
The Swiffer Wet Jet mop has become a household favorite since its release due to convenience. It handles well, is light, and is ready to go in a matter of seconds. It takes twists and turns easily and you really feel like you can scrub the dirt from your floors with it. However, I found some key things I didn’t particularly like. The first, after only a few feet of floor, the Swiffer more began to spread the dirt around then to pick it up. Now my kitchen is fairly small, I feel one of the Swiffer wet pads should pick up the dirt needed. And it did for the first little while, but as it got dryer it moved from picking the dirt up, to spreading it further onto my floors. It wasn’t as noticeable until I caught the floor in the reflection of the light. But it was definitely there. I tried cleaning my floor more often in order for it to have less dirt to pick up (which ended up being every other day and is frankly too much for me) and I tried using a new wet pad every time I noticed smearing (which equaled up to about 3 for maybe 200 feet of space).
The other classic contender is a wool mop. The lanolin in the sheep’s wool attracts dust, keeping it in the mop. I noticed a lot less smearing with this product. It can also be reused, so after I finished my mopping I was able remove the wool from the end, wring it out one final time, and throw it in the wash. The great thing about this, is the more you use it & wash it, the more your mop attracts and keeps in dust. There was also the additional benefit of being able to wash without using as harmful of cleaners. When you are making your bucket of water you can look up recipes for a wash that includes baking soda and borax. Of course, you can also just pour some Lysol in there as well (which I’m guilty of) but for the earth conscious mind, the wool mop is definitely the one to use. Downsides here is when creating a large bucket of water for my mopping it definitely felt like I was doing more work than necessary. Plus I have a split entry home and each floor has hard surfaces on it, so carrying that up and down the stairs was much heavier than the Swiffer Wet Jet.
So which one is better?
You need to choose the one which is the best fit for your lifestyle. Both products fit well within a home, and I have both, but I use each for different things. I often use my Swiffer for messes or spot cleaning, I have a toddler and two dogs so it comes in handy for a quick clean up. You know, the type that comes along with two year olds? And my wool mop I use for the deep cleaning I do on all my floors at least once a week. Both are an essential tool.
To conclude, the Swiffer is quick, easy, and light, but harsh chemicals can’t be avoided and tends to smear when doing a larger section of your kitchen. The mop is a bit more work to get up and running, but is environmentally friendly and provides a stronger clean. Which one do you use?
Cheers!