If you have a variety of different hard floor types in your house, you could drag the mop and bucket out every single day, mix your cleaner, wring the mop, drain the cleaner, wipe up puddles, and die a little every time you do it.
Or you could use a product like the Swiffer WetJet. We’re going to break down everything about the Swiffer WetJet to see if it should be your next favorite household tool. Let’s start with the basics.
What Is The Swiffer Wet Jet?
The WetJet tries to solve all the issues you have with a traditional mop and bucket. It uses a small reservoir located on the mop itself to spray cleaner solution through small holes in the mop head. Disposable pads soak up the cleaner and pull up dirt and debris, locking it within fibers in the pad. Throw the pad away and attach a new one, and you’re ready for the next mop cycle.
What Type Of Floor Is Suitable?
WetJet is suitable for all types of hard floors including sealed wooden floors. The company sells a variety of cleaning solutions for all types of floors and a few different kinds of pads. It’s safe for most types of floor finishes, but be sure to use only the sort of cleaner made for the mop so you don’t accidentally ruin a finish.
Does It Require Assembly?
It comes in a package with the handle detached. Assembly is a matter of attaching the handle and inserting batteries. It takes four AA batteries, which aren’t included, to work the spray function, and the starter pack comes with a cleaning solution and two disposable pads.
How Does It Work?
When you push the button located in the handle, the device sprays cleaner directly in front of the mop head. To get more or less spray, just hold the button down until you’ve sprayed as much cleaner as you need. Move the mop over the cleaner, and the disposable pad soaks up dirt and cleaner, locking it into the fibers of the pad.
It’s easy to add cleaner. There’s no need to mix with water, no need to remove or puncture the top. Simply fit the cleaner top down into the container and press until the device pierces the top cap. You’re ready to start cleaning. No buckets. No wringing.
How Does It Store?
The cleaning solution remains in the mop until it’s empty so you won’t have to store separate containers of cleaner when you’re storing the mop. Disposable pads come in a convenient box that stacks easily and doesn’t take up much space.
The mop itself doesn’t fold for storage, but it’s tiny and has a thin profile. It should fit easily into your brook closet, and it has a ring at the handle for easy hanging.
What Are The Benefits?
We like the Swiffer for a variety of reasons. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons you may love it too.
Convenience
Mopping requires a lot of prep work. It’s great if you’re cleaning a whole area because you don’t feel like you’ve jumped through all those hoops for minimal reward. If you’ve got a small mess, however, dragging the bucket out can be really frustrating.
The WetJet can be used for large messes or little spills. The spray function gives you complete control over how much cleaning solution you need, so you can use just one mop to clean multiple types of messes.
Disposable pads keep your messes contained. You don’t have to wring mop heads out, and the dirt leaves your house instead of staying on the mop head and smearing around the floor.
Low Cost
Some fancy steam mops are great tools, but they cost an arm and a leg for an initial investment. The materials are disposable, but they don’t cost too much overall to get started. Replacements are not too bad to purchase, either.
Sticky Messes
The cleaning solution and pad do a great job of dissolving sticky messes and dried on messes. The cleaning solutions aren’t too abrasive, and the pads are just scrubby enough to provide grip to get up dried messes but don’t leave scratches on most floor finishes.
Cleaning Solution
The cleaning solution is light and has a pleasant scent. It isn’t overpowering and doesn’t leave a film once you’ve mopped. The cleaning pad does an excellent job of mopping up all the solution without leaving streaks.
The solution does dissolve sticky and dried on messes well. It doesn’t require too much strength to get the mess up, and it sprays evenly and cleanly without getting clogged.
The Design
The handle should be long enough to fit most size frames. It’s at the right height to get some power behind your mopping if you have a stubborn mess and it will withstand long jobs without making you too tired.
We love that it’s lightweight so we can carry it around the house without feeling like we’re going to throw our backs out. This also makes it easier to get in and out of storage each time you need to use it. Bigger cleaning systems can be a pain to remove just for small messes, but the weight of the WetJet gives it a lot of flexibility.
What Are The Downsides?
Not everything is perfect, however. Environmentally speaking, there’s a lot of trash that goes along with this mop. You’ve got packaging for both the cleaning solution and the disposable pads, plus the pads themselves. If you don’t like to leave a lot of things festering in the landfill, this may not be the right solution for you.
It can also get expensive once you add up the cost of materials over the lifetime of the mop. The materials themselves aren’t expensive to purchase each time, but having to buy disposable pads and cleaning solution that isn’t a concentrate does indeed add up. We aren’t ones to say that spending more money for the sake of convenience is wrong, but make sure you understand what you’re getting yourself into.
You can only use the cleaning solution intended for the mop. There’s no way to refill the solution container, and you can’t use your favorite cleaner with the mop unless you have a separate sprayer system. If you end up not liking the cleaning solution, you don’t have any alternatives the way you do with other cleaning systems.
If you’ve already got a cleaning system that you love, this may not add anything new to your arsenal. It’s intended for people who only have a bulky, outdated mop system that doesn’t help with a variety of messes. If you’ve got a system that already works, we aren’t sure this will be something you’ll want to replace your existing system.
Who Is The Swiffer WetJet For?
If you’ve got multiple types of hardwood floors and no good way to get big and small messes clean with one system, it could be a transformative system for you. Also, if you hate dragging out a mop and bucket, and find yourself putting the entire task off because it’s just really inconvenient, this could help you keep your floors clean without all the fuss.
It’s a good option for apartment dwellers and those who are first-time homeowners. It can give you a cleaning solution without having to invest in a bunch of different tools all at once. It’s quick, and simple to use, and doesn’t have a lot of fuss.
Swiffer WetJet: Final Thoughts
The WetJet is a really convenient tool for households that need quick solutions for a wide variety of messes. It keeps dirt and grime from spreading around with mop water, and you can just throw the pads away when you’re done.
Environmental enthusiasts may take issue with the number of disposables you’re buying when you choose the WetJet, but you should decide if you need something convenient or if you’re willing to take more time to go with reusable solutions. You won’t be able to create your own option with the WetJet and tampering with the machine to alter it to use your own solutions could break it.
Overall, we think it’s a good option for most households, and it takes the act of cleaning your floors from a considerable hassle to something that can be done quickly and painlessly. It’s one of the most convenient cleaning tools we’ve ever seen, and it should help get those messes up in no time.
Are you concerned about how much disposable products you use to clean, or do you believe that some things should be thrown away in the name of cutting down on germs and messes? Let us know in the comments below.
