New and Improved Swiffer Sweeper® Review

Okay I'll admit it I am not the primary when it comes to cleaning in my household, but sometimes I find myself (grudgingly) in that noble position.  I remember when I was growing up my mother had a collection of mops and a tin pale from which she mopped the kitchen floor almost nightly.  But those days are long gone, thanks in part to products like the Swiffer Sweeper, which is part broom and part mop.

Swiffer Sweeper (It's New and Improved)

The Swiffer Sweeper arrived in a small box.  The sweeper itself, which consists of a long aluminum handle and sweeper pad is handily broken down into a four segmented pieces that snap together without the need for tools.  Those familiar with fitting together a patio umbrella will be right at home assembling the Swiffer Sweeper.  From start to finish it took me less than a minute to pit together the unit.  The sweeper pad is where one attaches the Swiffer wet or dry cloths; two wet, and one dry pad shipped in the box.  Be forewarned the wet pads are indeed wet and not just damp. 

So What is New & Improved?

The original Swiffer Sweeper was brought to market some seven years ago and was just a dry sweeper.  According to the manufacturer here are the improvements to the unit:

• Longer, stronger for more thorough cleaning;
• Soft, ergonomic handle grip for better control (it is more comfortable);
• Increased head size to allow more utilization of cloths;
• Dry cloths improved for better pickup;
• Wet cloths feature a new scrubby strip to break up tough spots;

You can use the Swiffer Sweeper to clean wood, ceramic tile, or vinyl floors or to clean walls and ceilings.

My Viewpoint

I decided to try the Swiffer Sweeper out on the ever dirty kitchen floor; I swear we can't seem to keep it clean, ever.  So first I attached the dry cloth and swept the floor.  The swivel head made getting to those hard to reach places almost effortless.  And oh yes the Swiffer Sweeper did an admirable of picking the plethora of cat hairs and crumbs that seem the take up residence on my kitchen floor.  The unit didn't do such a good job on large grains of dirt; those were pushed along or dragged and not readily picked up.  So it was out with conventional hand brush. 

How did the Swiffer Sweeper do?  About as well as can be expected.  Stains?  Gone. Tough stains, though took a little work to get up, but with effort they too was vanquished.  Stains that had set in were another matter.  The wet cloths have a built in scrubber strip to help with those hard to remove food particles and coffee stains and for the most part it did the trick.  But there were some particles that refused to budge without judicious use of hand power; thankfully those were few and far between. 

Total time tally from start to finish: about 10 minutes.  Nor bad since that time also includes assembly. 

The Swiffer Sweeper is ideal for nightly cleaning chores thought the cost of the (wet) replacement clothes may give on pause.  I am convinced however that the Swiffer Sweeper is a very useful tool for everyday use, and it has become a permanent part of my kitchen cleaning crew.