It’s so tempting isn’t it? Those little disposable filth pads with the special cleaning juice.
Just say no.
Firstly, I find that Swiffer left a buildup of residue after using it for about 2 years on my hardwoods.
Secondly, it’s expensive. VERY expensive.
Cost Breakdown
Box of 12 disposable Swiffer pads- $6.17 ($0.51 per pad)
42.2 oz Bottle of Swiffer All Purpose Cleaner- $4.74 ($0.11 per oz)
Swiffer Mop Start Up Kit- $19.97
Since everyone’s home is different, it’s hard to price this per mopping episode so let’s make some assumptions. I remember that when I used to use Swiffer twice a week in my home, one bottle of fluid lasted me about 1 month, or 4 weeks. That’s $56.88/year in cleaning solution and $53.04 in pads, for a total of $109.92. Add in the start up cost and Swiffer costs $129.89 the first year.
I recently purchased a generic spray mop with a refillable bottle and washable microfiber pads. It’s not Rubbermaid, but works great via mechanical spraying method, i.e. NO batteries! I think I paid $19.99 for it, but I can’t find a brand or link to it anywhere at Walmart.com (that’s where I got it though), so we’ll use the Rubbermaid as an example.
Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop- $29.99
1 gallon white vinegar- $2.56 ($0.02 per oz)
Need I say more? I mean really. The laundry costs are negligible to me, I actually bought a few extra microfiber pads and wash them all once a week with all my other cleaning rags/towels/etc that I already wash. I do use hot water for this wash, which averages $0.68/load. So even though I’m not washing those pads exclusively in that wash, we’ll just say once a week for a year is $35.36 per year. Using 2 tbs (1 oz) of vinegar in the bottle costs $0.02, or $0.24 per year. Add in the start up cost and making the switch costs just $65.69 the first year.
Switch to Rubbermaid Reveal and white vinegar and save $73.01 the first year and $74.32 every year after!
