Cleancast: Seriously, Stop Swiffering

On this episode of the official Ask a Clean Person podcast, Adam Clark Estes of Gizmodo joined me to talk about our mutual hatred of those blasted Swiffers. Back in July, Adam wrote a wonderful post entitled “Stop Swiffering,” so I asked him to come hang out in the studio to talk some trash about you-know-what and discuss other methods of keeping your floors clean.

After we explored the whys and wherefores of our disdain for Swiffers, Adam and I talked about our Dyson vacuum cleaners—both the good and the bad. We also recommended some lower-priced vacuum options to an AaCP reader/listener, some of which Adam included in his screed about Swiffers, which I shall quote from:

But you don’t necessarily need to buy an expensive Dyson product, either. More conservatively priced alternatives include the Hoover Linx ( $130), the Shark Navigator ( $100), and the very Dyson-like Shark Rocket ( $190). Any of those options would pay for itself in a few months, though I can’t vouch for their capabilities on bare floors. You could also just buy a broom and mop or just get on your hands and knees and scrub the deck with a rag, like Cinderella.

It’s also worth mentioning that the folks over at The Sweethome also recommend the Shark Navigator—the Navigator Lift-Away NV352 is their pick for the best cheap vacuum.

We also answered a question about how to care for hardwood floors, but you’ll have to listen to the episode for that advice! Which is a thing you can do here or over at iTunes, where you can also subscribe.

Do you have something you’d like to hear discussed on Ask a Clean Person: The Podcast? Email me at [email protected] with the subject line CLEANCAST. Do you like what you heard? Please consider leaving a rating in the iTunes store when you head over there to subscribe!

Jolie Kerr is Deadspin’s resident cleaning expert and the author of the book My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag … And Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha (Plume). Follow her on Twitter, or contact her via email at [email protected].

Image by Sam Woolley.

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