Swiffer Duster® Review

As a guy who would rather be spending his valuable time writing for a living or socializing online, I will be the first to admit that I have never been too fond of housekeeping and housecleaning chores.

I have been doing them, though, since I was nine years old; back then my assigned chores were picking up my toys and books from the floor or other rooms, dusting some of the furniture with paper towels and Pledge, and vacuuming.

Later, as I got over my fear of breaking dishes and glasses, I added dishwashing to my repertoire of housework duties, and this is something I do pretty darn well; I don't think I've broken or chipped any dishes in a long time, though I must admit to having "lost" a couple of glasses in the 30 years or so that we've lived here.

While I do recognize the need to do household chores, I don't necessarily like doing them.  Vacuuming I don't mind so much; in fact, since I consider that to be my best housecleaning activity, I get to choose what vacuum cleaners get bought and used.

Dusting is another area which I seem to excel at, even though at times I find it tedious and time-consuming.  I hate it, for instance, when i'm dusting the blades of our ceiling fans and all that "crapola" that accumulates up there comes down on me. 

Swiffer Dusters

Fortunately, the research-and-development department over at Procter & Gamble developed the Swiffer family of products, including the Swiffer Dusters, to make the tasks of housecleaning a bit easier without sacrificing efficiency.

The Swiffer Dusters consist of one plastic handle and five disposable dusters made of, according to the official Swiffer website, "thousands of soft, fluffy fibers that can change shape to fit wherever they must go." These fibers capture all sorts of dirt, dust, and other fine debris -- the kind of stuff that not only makes rooms look dingy and unkempt, but also causes many allergies. According to the Home Made Simple website sponsored by Procter & Gamble, the Swiffer Duster not only deals with the aesthetic component of housekeeping, but also the more important hygienic aspects:

With Swiffer® Dusters, you can trap and lock the dirt and dust you see, and even common household allergens* that you don't. Swiffer Dusters use thousands of soft, fluffy fibers to easily trap and lock dirt, dust and up to 89% of common household allergens. These are impossible to see, but they're there. (Another unpleasant thought, we know, but also true.)

Although, to be sure, there is some assembly required before you can use your Swiffer Duster, attaching the plastic handle to a disposable duster is, pardon the pun, a snap.

Step 1. Match rounded ends.

Step 2. Push together forcefully. Listen for a snap.

Step 3.Slide the prongs of the handle into the duster.

Fluff. If you followed the three steps above correctly and the duster doesn't fly off the handle, you are now ready to dust!

From the Package:

The Swiffers Dusters' soft and fluffy fibers trap and lock dust fast and easy -- even in hard to reach places. The Swiffer Dusters work on virtually all surfaces leaving no residue.

For cleaning purposes only. Use only on cooled surfaces. This product is not intended for use on wet surfaces.

My Viewpoint on Swiffer Dusters:

I'm still not terribly fond of dusting -- I don't know anyone who likes doing this chore -- but this Swiffer product certainly is the best tool for the job. The "soft, fluffy fibers" adjust to any surface, whether it's a flat table-top or the irregular terrain of a PC's keyboard. Even more important, they do capture a great deal of dust, grime, hair, and dirt from appliances, tabletops, bookshelves, books, DVD cases, and (of course) many of of my Star Wars collectibles. Where it used to take me a couple of passes with a feather duster or a long, carefully plotted and thorough once-over with a Pledge-permeated dustrag, I now can clean almost any dry and cool surface in a single pass. (Okay, with Star Wars figures it's a bit trickier, since some do topple over and fall from the shelf no matter how careful I am.)

And as much as I hate to admit it, it's this adaptability -- as well as the easy-to-hold ergonomic handle -- that makes the Swiffer Duster the marvelous tool that it is. It cleans almost any surface and can be used to reach hard-to-clean areas, and it doesn't -- unlike other dust-fighting methods -- leave any residue or stray dust behind.