Cleaning a Wide Swath

Cleaning the floor is about to get a little easier, thanks to the new O-Cedar Microfiber Flip Mop.

This long handled wonder has a generous 18” by 6” cleaning pad and a neck so flexible it can get under the lowest cabinets. Perfect for hardwood and other smooth floors, it can be used dry or damp. Dry, the microfiber pad acts like a magnet, picking up an impressive amount of dirt and pet hair. If you want to damp-mop the floor just use a spray bottle of water. The microfiber pad is washable and comes off easily by opening the Velcro strips. Then just toss it in the washing machine and allow to dry flat. The pad is also reversible. Just flip it over and start cleaning with the other side.

The whole unit is lightweight and a pleasure to use.

The history of O-Cedar goes back to the early 1900s –when it became a popular brand. After introducing its waxes and polishes to residents in and around Chicago in 1906, the Channel Chemical Company developed and sold oil-treated dust mops under the O-Cedar name in 1908 as a companion to the popular cleaning products. Parlaying its success selling O-Cedar waxes and polishes in the “Windy City,” Channel Chemical Company achieved not only national distribution in 1910, but took the products overseas as well.

During the early 1920s, a prosperous time for the country, demand for consumer goods ran high and radios became a staple and O-Cedar was thrown into national prominence. During the
1920s, O-Cedar used radio to advertise its products to millions of listeners, catching their
attention with a clever slogan: “O-Cedar Makes Your Life Easier®.”

The Depression that followed the boom times (sound familiar?) forced people to use what they had and careful cleaning became a way for people to preserve the life of their home furnishings.

During the 1930s, O-Cedar published A Book of Household Tips, which
contained practical advice for quickly and thoroughly accomplishing everyday chores. One tip in the book was “…to clean scorched pans, sprinkle with some dry baking soda and let stand.
Then pans will clean readily.”

The point is, O-Cedar has been around a long time and they know what works.

Sugg. Retail price is $14.99 and is available at select food, drug and mass merchandise stores nationwide. For more information about items in the O-Cedar family of cleaning products go to www.ocedar.com

The New Standard

The ads for Swiffer are right—you’ll never go back to your old mop and broom after trying the WetJet. Cleaning floors now can take less than half the time and the result will be a floor that is cleaner than if a regular mop (any kind—sponge or the antediluvian swab-the-deck version ) were used for the chore.

The idea for the Swiffer WetJet, which came on the market in 2001, emanated from studies that found that people who cleaned were looking for something that would eliminate the strain and fatigue of floor cleaning, rated as one of the most tiring tasks. So the Swiffer WetJet was born, reducing a lot of the drudgery and inefficiency associated with floor cleaning. It’s more efficient because there’s no scrubbing on your hands and knees or carrying buckets from room to room. With one less thing –a heavy bucket filled with cleaning solution and water--to drag around the house, cleaning the floor is a bit less tiring.

In 2005 P & G’s Swiffer WetJet underwent some upgrades including reconfiguring the pump and nozzle to reach a wider distance and streamlining the spray pattern. A triple layer core was implemented to the WetJet pads to trap and lock away all the dirt leaving behind virtually no residue. That’s also about the time the color was changed to purple. And now there are several formulas, including the new Wood Care line, complete with WetJet Wood Floor solution that dissolves dirt and is quick drying so there are virtually no streaks or hazing. They are also about to launch a new and improved Swiffer WetJet Antibacterial cleaning solution that kills 99.9% of bacteria.

Here are a couple of suggestions, though. How about using a refillable container to hold and dispense the cleaning product liquid? It seems like a bit of a waste to have to buy a new container when a concentrated refill should do just as well.

The cleaning pads are easily attached to the WetJet by Velcro strips and for the most part work very well. After a period of time, however, sometimes the Velcro strips can start to become separated from the machine and so partially come off when you remove the dirty pad. Crazy Glue works to reattach the Velcro but this might be an area for some improvement. It is true that Swiffer is constantly enhancing its products based on consumer feedback and insight and they are genuinely interested in consumer comments.

Again, these are just a few suggestions. The Swiffer WetJet as a whole is a superb and truly innovative product. It is lightweight, cleans more thoroughly and is easier to use than a mop and a bucket and is now pretty much the benchmark for how to clean a floor.

You never will go back.