Now that I have hard surfaced floors throughout the majority of my upstairs I am constantly faced with this small dilemma. In my efforts to keep dirt, sand, dog hair, and other junk our from under my feet I am always in floor cleaning mode. I am not annal I just really like clean floors. It is visible progress and very gratifying, if only for a little while.
Anyway here it is, do you.........vacuum, broom it up, swiffer vac, or a combination of more than one? I think all three have their strong points but as I was contemplating the triviality of this a moment ago and wondered what everyone else chooses. Feel free to weigh in here as I am curious as to what is the general consensus. Come on clean freaks fess up.
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22 comments:
I am so with you, Carrie - we have laminate wood floor on our first level, and it is such a paint to keep it looking clean!
Right now, I don't bother with mopping very often (because the dog just puts snowy paw prints everywhere), but I generally swiffer everywhere, then vacuum everywhere. If I'm lazy or rushed, just the swiffer, but it doesn't pick up the sand!
Jenna, you must get the swiffer vac. It gets the sand and everything. Once you use it there is no turning back!
I am putting it on my list right now! :)
I vacuum about 3 times a week. I spot clean with a rag and I rarely scrub the entire floor. Unless someone's coming that I love a lot or I'm trying to impress. Or if I realize it's been MONTHS since I did it last. ROTFL!
OK - this is REALLY funny. I'm am truly going to show my . . . whatever you want to call it. "House-husband-ish" - metrosexual-ness - or just plain geek-ness - but I was ACTUALLY going to send you guys an email about this little bissell sweeper we just bought at Kohls a few weeks ago, as we have the same issues with our (albeit) small laminate flooring area and I was getting really annoyed with all the sand getting into our kitchen from the garage, etc.
Anyway - check out one of these. http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/homecare/sweepers/PRD~100396/Bissell+Perfect+Sweep+Turbo+Cordless+Sweeper+Vacuum.jsp
It's not mean for huge jobs, but it's really easy to pull out for small little jobs to just keep the sand and crud off the floor without having to pull out the whole vacuum, mop, swiffer, etc. It doesn't suck anything - it merely brushes everything up - but it seems to, for us anyway, work really really well. You do plug it in and charge it - it seems to run a long time on a charge. They recommend NOT leaving it plugged in - rather running it all the way down, then re-charging. So you can store it anywhere in between charging.
One thing however, I believe it doesn't work quite as well on tile floor, as it wants a really flat surface to work best on. But you can try it out and see. I would imagine it would work great on your laminate, especially around your table, etc. For $35.00 you can't go wrong, and if you don't like it, I'm sure Kohls will always take it back. Or your welcome to borrow ours!
OK - am I geeky or what? BTW - when I was like 3 years old - I was totally fascinated with vacuums I guess. We have old home movies (the old silent 16mm type!) of me opening this little child's vacuum set and just being completely overjoyed. I know . . . I'm strange.
I don't know why the URL won't copy - I'll email it to you. But the model is called a Bissell® Perfect Sweep Turbo™ Cordless Sweeper Vacuum.
We have hardwood in the dining/kitchen - I usually just swiffer and then use one of those cheap mops with the fabric strip head along with vinegar diluted with lots of water. For the laminate in the bathrooms and entries I just use a reg broom/dustpan and then mop the same way.
Well hello Carrie. I'll weigh in. I'm not scared to show my anal-ish (is that a word?) house-wife-ish self here for all the world to see. I love clean floors. I love them so much my children know when mom is cleaning the floors its her therapy time and they may as well vamoose.
Now for my geeky (isn't that more for computer nerd type people? Oh well I'm that too) side I use a good ole one of these http://www.target.com/Contemporary-6-pc-Towel-Set-Chippendale/dp/B000EN6CGO/sr=1-1/qid=1232599854/ref=sr_1_1/189-0920875-6883433?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Atowel&page=1 (please note the name of the towels....I especially appreciate that and it makes me feel all special and stuff) and I fill up the sink with water and this yummy cleaner http://www.clorox.com/products/overview.php?prod_id=cdfc it smells so fresh and nice, not like some of those other cleaners I'm sure you've used that nearly make you want to gag. Then its good old fashioned hands and knees mopping. Granted when I had pergo I didn't use the water and actually swiffered but with tile....you really need to get down and dirty to get it clean.
For the rest of my house I use this vacuum http://www.dyson.com/store/product.asp?product=DC14-ALLFLOORS_US - now you might think the ball system is a bit bizarre but its really great. You should try it. I can maybe hook you up with a coupon and for the price its really unbeatable. I'm sure it cleans up sand and everything else that could possibly be on your floors.
I do spot clean as well but thats because if a newly mopped floor gets something on it I go crazy and use my lovely clorox wipes for those small clean ups. I mop about once a week, vacuum about three or four times a week.
Oh yeah and you really should check this out too http://www.clorox.com/products/overview.php?prod_id=cdw_decor - isn't that cool? Cleaning wipes in a cute little box. No I'm not a spokesperson for Clorox even though it does kind of sound like it. Lemme know if you get these links okay.
I will add my Taiwanese advice. Everyone must remove their shoes before entering the home. You can provide slippers or flip-flops for guests to wear that always stay in the house. :)
I can vouch for Erica's clean floor analness. In the time that I've known her, she's burned out no less than 4 vacuums. Considering I've had the same vacuum for about 12 years and hers live less than 2.... Yep, she drives vacuums to suicide.
RIP Hoover, Bissell, Dirt Devil and Eureka
OOOOO good point Elly! We also don't allow shoes in the house. :)
Angela dear....I'll have you know....Mr. Dyson has served me well for nearly a year. He seems rather happy with the arrangement we have going on. Thanks. ;)
Call me old fashioned, but I ONLY clean my floors (kitchen and bathroom) on my hands and knees at least once if not twice a week with the little ones! I have only laminate and tile and I love pinsol (sp?) the best. I have never heard of all those nifty cleaning machines! I do hand swifter our finished steps too, no water! :)
P.S. Can I come over sometime? (I teach mornings and provide childcare Tues/Thurs afternoons) I have so many questions about raising a boy right now! David is a little curious about his body and I could use some wisdom!!!!!!!!
Vacuum or Swiffer vacuum, then just plain Swiffer,then Method hardwood floor cleaner or Method all other floors cleaner (depending on the floor surface) with a microfiber cloth on a mop that can be then thrown into the washer - in that order - once a month. The rest of the time Swiffer vacuum or just plain Swiffer. Spot clean as necessary. I can usually listen to one entire podcast in the time it takes me to do the floors. So, clean floors AND spiritual growth.
Jboats
After all of this I should have the cleanest floors around....shoot. Way to set myself up for that one. I will have to post again in the future to announce my new findings.
I want to that my type A friends who included links with pictures. Must say that Mr. Dyson has been a secret love for some time. For now a fantasy, but someday Erica, some day!
Elly, lovely idea. How does that work for the dog? :)
Andrea, must admit I love the gratification that comes from that kind of clean! You go girl!
Coming over, absolutely. Little boys are such a breed of their own. My latest story will make you laugh and feel like everything will be ok.:) Anything I have to offer I am willing to share. I will look at my schedule and we will get something set up soon. I will be in touch!
For me the swiffer stuff gets a little expensive with replacing the supplies all the time. Plus you have to put them on, take them off, etc. And I hate to haul out a vacuum every time I clean the floor. With the dog and five kids, Carrie would be going through swiffer supplies or constantly pulling out the vac every couple hours. For me, this time of year with all the sand and crud being tracked in, I just want to keep the "moving stuff" up off the floor (sand, etc.) and I really don't want to swiffer or vac every time our floor needs that done for just the three of us. So for us anyway, the little $35 Bissell Vac from kohls really works handy for that as I can just grab it any time I need it - don't have to put anything on it, plug it in, wrap a cord, etc. It's good for just keeping a constant handle on the floor all throughout the day so it all doesn't build up, and especially for dry spills or after food prep or meals. Then of course, once a week or so we try to wet mop/clean the floor real good. But if you're looking for something to just quickly grab in the moment all throughout the day, the little Bissell guy is working for me.
I think Jenna mentioned the swiffer doesn't pick up sand. The little Bissell picks up the sand GREAT. And it doesn't suck it up (which can tend to spread it all over) - it merely has the rotating brush that brushes everything into the container. I know it works as I dump out container fulls of sand from the Bissell. And my floor doesn't crunch when I walk on it! :-)
Here is my favorite gadget: the DustBuster. It picks up pet hair and sand and salt from the snow. It is great to have. I sweep all the time and then when I have the vac. out I vac the kitchen floor too. And I am like Andrea, we do the hands and knees method of scrubbing the floor! Though I don't do it twice a week like her!
I must say, POWER! shop vac, quiet series, once a week for career moms. Then look the other way and let the dog lick up the rest!!! HEHEHE
well... dogs here have wardrobes of their own, so i've seen lots of them wearing booties/socks. maybe i can find some that would fit Amos! :)
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