A Swiffer sweeper is one of the most versatile cleaning tools you can purchase for your home. While it’s designed primarily to clean floors, it can be used on a number of other surfaces both inside your home and your vehicle.
A Swiffer is a sweeping tool with a long handle and a flat cleaning head that can be used with disposable dry or wet textured cloths that trap dust, dirt, hair, and grime. We turned directly to the brand and chatted with Arianna Castro, a Swiffer scientist, who shares creative ways to use your Swiffer sweeper on a variety of surfaces, from walls and windows to ceiling fans and furniture.
Keep reading to discover smart ways to use your Swiffer that spans more than just the floor.
Meet the Expert
Arianna Castro is a Swiffer scientist.
What Is a Swiffer?
A Swiffer sweeper is a lightweight cleaning tool that consists of a long metal handle and a flat cleaning head. It is designed to be used with either wet or dry textured covers that fit over the flat head and are disposable. The head rotates in order to allow you to pivot and reach corners as you sweep the floor and the long handle allows for comfortable use without the need for bending or kneeling while you clean. A Swiffer sweeper is intended for hard flooring, not carpets or area rugs.
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15 Ways to Use a Swiffer Beyond Your Floors
Walls
“You can use it to clean or prep walls ahead of painting them to remove dust and dirt”, Castro says.
Swiffer dry pads trap dust that collects on walls and the long handle allows you to reach areas you wouldn’t be able to reach with just a cleaning rag. Proper wall preparation, which includes cleaning, is essential for a smooth paint job and a Swiffer is an excellent tool to use.
Baseboards
Baseboards collect a lot of dust over time, especially ones with a more decorative design. Run a Swiffer dry pad along baseboards to remove dust and dirt in one long, continuous sweep. You can either use the Swiffer with the handle to avoid straining your back. However, if the baseboards are extra dusty and require a heavy-duty clean, use the dry pad without the cleaning tool in place of a regular rag to get in all the nooks and crevices of the baseboards.
Large Tables
Whether it’s a large dining table or a server in the dining room, Swiffer dry pads provide a quick and effective way to clean the surface. Castro recommends using them to get dust and dirt off of large tables before meals.
TV and Computer Screens
Gently remove dust from TV and computer screens using Swiffer dry pads. The electrostatic texture picks up dust without the need for applying heavy pressure, which is key when cleaning a sensitive surface such as a screen or monitor. Use it to clean the front, sides, and back of the screen.
Windows
Before you start washing your windows, make sure to get any dust and dirt off first. Castro recommends using Swiffer dry pads to clean tall and small windows. For hard-to-reach windows, use the Swiffer sweeper and for smaller windows or ones that are within easy reach, use the dry pad in place of a regular cleaning rag.
Light Fixtures and Shades
Use Swiffer dry pads to clean light fixtures as well as fabric and glass shades. The electrostatic nature and textured surface of the cleaning pads trap dust on a variety of light fixture types, whether it’s a pendant light over the kitchen island or wall sconces in the bathroom.
Air Vents
Clean air vents on the floor, walls, and ceilings with your Swiffer Sweeper. Dust easily collects in the grooves of air vents, and cleaning them regularly is essential to maintain good air quality in your home. The long handle on a Swiffer Sweeper allows you to dust hard-to-reach air vents, while the textured surface of the dry pads traps dust and dirt on the surface and around the vents.
Built-In Shelves
Dust built-in shelves quickly and effectively using Swiffer dry pads. Reach top shelves and clean corners easily thanks to the sweeper’s long handle and flat rectangular head. Work from the top down when cleaning built-in shelves and instead of vigorously rubbing the shelves with the sweeper, work in a long, continuous motion from one side to the other to prevent spreading dust.
Cobweb Removal
“Want to keep the spiders further than arm’s length? Use the Swiffer sweeper dry pads to get the cobwebs out of hard-to-reach places in the home”, Castro says.
Thanks to the flexible nature of the sweeper’s flat head, you can adjust it to remove cobwebs from flat wall surfaces as well as ceilings and corners.
Ceiling Fans
You’d be surprised how quickly large amounts of dirt and sticky grime form on a ceiling fan. Turn to your trusty Swiffer sweeper since it can easily remove dirt and dust from hard-to-reach ceiling fans, Castro explains.
Dryer Lint Removal
Removing lint and dust from your dryer is essential not just for the efficiency of the laundry room appliance, but to help prevent a fire hazard. Castro recommends using the Swiffer Sweeper dry pads to remove any leftover lint from the dryer. Use the pads without the handle in this case, wiping down the interior of the dryer where lint gets trapped.
Car Interior
“Remove dirt and grime from car interiors and use the Swiffer Sweeper dry pads to help remove light dust from car surfaces”, Castro says.
The soft texture of the dry pads won’t scratch your vehicle’s hard surfaces but will attract and trap dust effectively.
Pet Hair Removal
If you’re a pet owner, a Swiffer sweeper is an excellent tool for removing pet hair from a variety of surfaces including floors, stairs, walls, furniture, and upholstery.
Window Blinds
Give your wood or plastic window blinds a good clean with a Swiffer Sweeper. Run it from side to side using one continuous sweeping motion, starting at the top of the window and working your way down.
Faux Plants
Wipe down dusty leaves on faux potted plants around your home. So much dust collects in the intricate nooks and crevices of small and floor-length potted plants, and a Swiffer Sweeper offers a quick and clever way to clean the leaves.
