Once in a while
someone actually builds a better mousetrap. What didn't exist
before the fall of '99 is now the latest craze: moplike electrostatic
cleaners. That's right, mops. Since the original Swiffer and
its competitor Grab-It hit the market, poor Endust has bitten
the dust. It's a dirty business for sure.
1. Swiffer by Proctor and Gamble
about $15 at
Fred Meyer, Safeway and Target
When I first saw the Swiffer on TV, sucking up dirt like
a motorless vacuum cleaner, I got all excited, ran out and
bought one. The first of its kind, the Swiffer sports a
cheery teal shade. It comes in four sections that you screw
together, with electrostatic cloths to attach to the flat
cleaning edge. Made of polyester and polypropylene, the
cloths have a loose weave that creates chambers in which
the dirt, dust and hair nestle. You can use the cloths without
the mop handle for dusting furniture, lamps and computers.
This mop is truly an awesome invention. It picks up dust,
hair, stuff the cat dragged in, kitty litter and small food
chunks. All the disgusting crap sticks to the cloth like
a primate on its mother's back. Then you pull off the cloth
and throw it away. I asked the Proctor & Gamble phone
guy if I could wash and reuse the cloths and he said absolutely
not.
2. Grab It by Pledge, S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.
about
$15 at Fred Meyer, Safeway and Target
The ad on TV makes Grab-It look as if it attracts dust
like a magnet seduces iron. And it does. Dressed in industrial
gray, Grab-It isn't as cute as the Swiffer, but it surpasses
its forebear. It comes in the same four, screw-together
sections with a package of 10 cloths. The action of drawing
the cloth over a dusty surface activates the electrostatic
properties, according to the phone rep I spoke with. The
polymer cloths have a smaller weave than Swiffer and don't
appear to be picking up as much plain dust. But when matched
up side by side on filthy floors, Grab-It picks up and holds
onto more debris.
3. Endust by Kiwi Brands Inc.
about $4 at groceries
and super stores everywhere
This used to be the best dusting invention around: Spray
Endust on a rag, swipe it over the furniture and all the
dust mites and sloughed skin particles would cling to the
cloth for your viewing satisfaction. Sadly, the new electrostatic
cloths have rendered Endust obsolete. It does, however,
leave a nice fragrance after cleaning, and it polishes wood
better than Swiffer or Grab-It. It's now labeled a "cleaning
and dusting" product, so it may be able to hold onto some
of its market share. Why do I feel so sentimental about
Endust? Your first anything always stays in your mind. But
cleaning demands practicality. I will use up my Endust and
switch to Swiffer and Grab-It--until the next new thing
comes along. Something, perhaps, with reusable cloths.
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Willamette Week | originally
published March 1,
2000
|
