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Thursday, August 9, 2012

# 325 - I'm a Cleaning Rebel!

Today's household often represents a Swiffer sort of mindset. Yes, I admit it, I once went through the Swiffer craze. I have a Swiffer which I like to use on the wood floors upstairs, but it's not my favorite floor cleaning tool.

For me and my household, the good old-fashioned broom reins supreme.

A Swiffer has limited resources. You can only continue cleaning for as long a the Swiffer pad holds up. Once that pad is full of dirt and hair, you must do away with it. This means you must stop cleaning and throw away the filthy pad to replace it with a new one that you must keep on hand --- which also means continually spending money to collect that dirt and hair on the floors.

For me, I use my broom to sweep up that dirt and dog hair...my broom does a marvelous job. I have a stand-up dust pan that efficiently collects the piles of dirt that I sweep for collection and there's no additional costs that I must make after the initial cost to pay for the broom and collection dust pan. I believe both of my purchases are at least 5-6 years old. I love cleaning tools that don't require refills.


Plus, the broom does more than just floors. I use the pointed part of the broom to get into the corners with vigor. Then, I run the tip of the broom along the tops of the baseboards to remove the dust, so my baseboards stay looking clean and dust-free. A Swiffer can't do this very easily, not with the swivel head and the flat Swiffer pad that isn't designed for such Olympic-Broom maneuvers.

Even better, my broom gives me added height to reach ceiling corners so I can remove any cobwebs. A Swiffer can't really claim to be good at cleaning these items, of course you can change out the Swiffer tools and use the dusting tool, which will still require an eventual change and replacement and another, and another, and another cleaning pad. Swiffer will be glad to keep taking your money to be the disposable dust pan you pay, repeatedly. Although, I like the thought of "I can't clean because I'm out of Swiffer supplies!"



As I go about cleaning with my broom, I go so far as to take my clean broom and run it along the six panels of each colony-style interior door throughout my house, to remove the dust that collects along the ridges of each panel. Above the door, I run the broom to dust off the top of the door-casing. You might be surprised at how much dust collects over each doorway. A broom can even be helpful to clean the blades of a ceiling fan. My grandmother always used her broom stick to beat the curtains to release any dust and to shake at kids who were behaving unruly. Or course, I always found that to be entertaining to observe, kind of like grandma was up to bat!

I clean my broom quickly by taking it outside to the pavement and giving it a few rough swipes back and forth. The roughness of the concrete does a great job of helping to dislodge any debris on the broom bristles.

My broom can reach behind furniture and under the bed, it sweeps the windowsills as I go about cleaning the floors and even makes a few swipes along the window blinds to keep the dust bunnies under control. My broom is very effective when cleaning under kitchen cabinets, there are lots of cracks and crevices that come under cabinetry. A Swiffer is a smooth working tool that doesn't really offer sufficient cleaning power. However, a Swiffer is great for a quick once-over of a floor that is basically already clean and just needs a quick replenishing pass. Otherwise, I leave the Swiffer in the corner and save money on buying refills, then head for my broom.

Now, don't even get me started on Wet Swiffers...my mop is unbeatable. To me, other "tools"only complicate cleaning and make it more costly. Sometimes, the old-fashioned broom and dustpan method is the highest and best method of getting it done, along with the best money-saving method used for generations.


There's a reason the traditional broom is still such a household staple. I love my broom and use it for all it's worth. I'm fast with a broom. It's one of my Super-Mom abilities...to do magical things with a broom. Oh yea, I can twirl it like a baton too...just for a bit of extra pizazz.

I've never twirled my Swiffer, it just doesn't inspire me with its uncooperative engineering. What can I say?

6 comments:

Karen said...

Lana, two thumbs up for the good ol' broom! I love mine, too. I've never used a Swiffer and always wondered if perhaps I was missing something vital, but after reading this I feel encouraged. Now I just need to APPLY my broom and soon! LOL

www.FarmLifeLessons.blogspot.com said...

Karen - I'm so glad you knew how to SPELL it --- I had written "Swifter" all thru the post!! It cracked me up! I changed it, but I don't think you're missing out on anything. My tile floors that have grout do not have any benefit from the Swiffer, but the glossy wood upstairs do okay with a quick swiffer. However, I mop with old-fashioned Murphy's Oil Soap on the wood floors and that makes them look awesome.

I need to dust the furniture in the master bedroom. That's doggie land with the kennels and my eternal nightmare. Augh.

Lana

Chain Stitch Crochet said...

You could actually crochet more than one Swiffer cleaner and then wash them! :o) There are a few patterns out there for them for free.

And to answer your question on the straight edges - I taught myself to crochet and for a long time was disgusted because I too had that problem. Counting. You have to count your stitches and a lot of times that pesky end stitch is hidden so that it's hard to see. But patience and perserverence will be your friend in the end.

Crocheting is wonderful for a lot of things. You can work out things in your mind while working on a crochet project. You can crochet for gifts - much cheaper than having to run out to the store, although it takes some planning and forethought as to what you'll make and then the yarn purchase. Crochet is a stress reliever and a proven healer. And you can actually crochet while watching tv or sitting on the porch. It's good for a lot of things...not just for your granny anymore. :o)

www.FarmLifeLessons.blogspot.com said...

It's definitely not just for grannies! I know young men who went to high school with my daughters who would crochet. I took a class at the University of Houston a few years ago, a Fiber Arts class and we had to do one small crochet project, just to do it as a project so we'd understand it. Of course, my edges didn't match and I decided to make an "organic" feeling piece that reminded me of our acreage. I'll have to take a photo of it and post it. You'll get a hefty laugh out of it. My main project that took all semester was to work an ancient loom and to weave a tartan. It was an incredible experience. It made me want to know how to spin my own yard as one of my fellow students would do on a spinning wheel. So amazing.

Lana

www.FarmLifeLessons.blogspot.com said...

spin my own "yarn" haha.

Lana

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

I'm a broom lady, too. (And no, I don't use it for transportation!) Then again, I'm still a down-on-my-hands-and-knees kinda floor scrubber, too. And a crocheter. It's GREAT for keeping slightly arthritis fingers nimble. Also great entertainment for the cats.