Mon, April 12, 2004
Stop Cleaning. Start Swiffering.
I know this is a lot like jumping up and down about Pulp Fiction at this point – it's old news – but so what? It's worth getting a little excited. This weekend, I used a Swiffer for the first time, and I was absolutely stunned by the entire experience. I'm giving it this year's pH7 Award for Product Design and All-Around Innovation. (For a list of previous winners, copy the following text and paste it into your favorite word processor 25 times: "TiVo")
I live in an apartment with hardwood floors, and I hate sweeping them, but it happens rarely enough (shame) that I've just resigned myself to the chore. I happened to mention this on McThursday, and Karen said "Oh, just get a Swiffer." Already, I can sense the "WTF?" in the mind of one reader – my mom has been hounding me to join the Swiffolution for years now. But, really, if Trading Spaces couldn't get me to buy one, what chance did she have? I've been aware of Swiffer since its invention, but for some reason I just never got around to owning one. I really don't know why, although I think it's related to the embarrassment I felt the last time I bought a mop. It's this huge, cumbersome handle sticking out of my grocery cart, and everyone I pass is thinking "Look at that idiot. He doesn't even have his own mop." (And, before you write in, I can save you some time. I'm well aware that my neuroses are insane and irrational.)
Anyway, the sweeping was long overdue, and after putting it off throughout a week of light spring cleaning, the suggestion to try the Swiffer instead seemed like a good one. A while ago, I switched to using Swiffer pads for dusting tabletops and other surfaces, finding the disposable static wipes much more user-friendly than the old rags-and-Endust model. So, Saturday morning I went ahead and picked one up at the store. The first ingenious thing that I noticed about the Swiffer (and there are many) is that it comes in a teensy little box, because the staff/handle/wand is collapsible. So, all those nightmares based on the mop scenario (That harsh, mocking laughter! And the clowns – oh, the clowns!) were unfounded. I could've slipped the whole thing in my back pocket. Brilliant! (Also, the box included a "starter pack" of two Swiffer pads and two Swiffer wet pads for mopping. A very smart idea on the part of the Swiffer people – I wouldn't have realized I could mop without upgrading to the Swiffer WetJet that Paige Davis is always pimping.)
Oh, but that was just the beginning! Once I got the thing home, the wonders continued. The brightly colored package has a cheery, elegant design, which not only makes it fun to open but also helps explain how Swiffer works. There are some diagrams and a few lines of text on the outside of the box, as well as instructions inside. I quickly disregarded these, because my feeling is that if a simple product is designed thoughtfully, the instructions should be optional. I design interfaces for a living – I have a pretty good idea of common functions and symbols. If the product design uses color, icons, and shapes effectively, I should be able to grasp it without needing any written guides. On this little test, Swiffer passed with flying colors! The brightly colored buttons make it a snap (literally) to assemble the wand, and the design of the swiffing surface itself makes it very clear how to attach a Swiffer pad. (There are illustrations on the sleeve that contains the pad, also.) There are four lovely little fasteners on the back of the swiffing plate, and these are highlighted in green to make it clear that they are targets. You just poke the Swiffer pad into each one, and it magically grabs on. You're ready to go!
What amazed me about the fastener/targets was how simple and yet ingenious they are. The color was an excellent choice (as mentioned), but their functional design is also incredible. They're just little rubber valves with slits cut in them so they open up when you press. They don't look like they could grip anything, not even the corner of a Swiffer pad. Oh, but they do! The slits are just the right shape so that they snag on the corner of the fabric without being so sharp as to hurt your finger on the way in or back out. This was the point where I almost thought I would have to check the directions – it seemed too easy – but sure enough, they gripped the pad and held on tight. Next, I noticed the impressive joint assembly on the end of the wand. It articulates in both directions, creating the range of motion of a ball-and-socket joint, but with added control. Within a few minutes, I had mastered the maneuvering of the Swiffer along the floor, and it is amazingly simple to move it through tight spaces and around corners. The slightly staticky pad clings to dust and has a soft texture that allows it to glide effortlessly across the floor even as it collects more and more mess. Plus, the aluminum handle is sturdy but light as a feather, so it makes the whole experience amazingly easy. (And, since the handle is composed of a series of aluminum lengths, you can leave a few out to make a shorter Swiffer – or combine two packages to make a super-long Swiffer! I wonder if I could Swiffer the entire apartment without leaving the couch.)
It's no wonder that the Swiffer is such a success and attained "household name" status so quickly. It epitomizes the true meaning of innovation. The Swiffer people targeted a repetitive chore that could be improved, and set about making it better in every possible way. (And, by creating a market for disposable Swiffer pads, set their profits up quite nicely, too.) They considered ease-of-use, functionality, storage, versatility, visual appeal, and necessity (whether people really needed such a product) – and their design delivered flawlessly on every count. When they say "Design is all around us," (as I did – see My Architect) this is what they mean. The same product could have been cumbersome and confusing with a different design, but the Swiffer people made design a priority, and that's why the Swiffer gets this year's Sevvie. (Maybe I should spell that 7y?)
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AC — Mon, 4/12/04 2:24pm
"(And, before you write in, I can save you some time. I'm well aware that my neuroses are insane and irrational.)"
Indeed they are! But I think a funnier one is how you refuse to buy toilet paper and instead borrow that sandpaper that passes for 'paper' from.... that place. You're missing out, brother!
Bee Boy — Tue, 4/13/04 12:29pm
They switched to really soft quilted stuff a few years ago. Relax.
AC — Tue, 4/13/04 4:19pm
Either that, or your callouses have gotten pretty thick.
mommymomerino — Thu, 4/15/04 10:50pm
i had other comments in mind, but after reading the afore-entries, i have to say that "anal" is definately an appropriate adjective. but, in addition, at the insistance of my sibling i acquired a swifter wet/jet which allows the user to switch the cleaning liquids from "wood floor" to "other" as needed, which is helpful in my "multi-surface" situation. and, the push button activated squirter is uber-fun. but, the disposable pads (you get a couple "free" in the starter kit) are 50 cents apiece thereafter, which may not seem like much, but one doesn't complete the job, so it becomes a cash hog, and another thing to add to the landfill, which i deplore, so i'm sorry i buckled to the pressure of my bro...it's not his fault, i was in a domesticly weakened situation. and, i gave away my simpler swifter to my youngest..but, that's a whole 'nother issue.
"COLE" — Thu, 1/13/05 5:59am
WHERE CAN I GET A THICK PAD LIKE THE ONE THAT COMES WITH THE STARTER KIT. ALL I CAN FIND IS THE THIN CLOTHS. THANKS
"dallydooper" — Mon, 4/24/06 5:57pm
it should tell what its made of!!!!
Anonymous Coward — Sat, 8/5/06 1:41pm
can anyone tell me if they are soft enough ot not scratch art glass such as chihuly also are they lint free?
"Marie-Ève" — Sun, 4/26/09 11:26am
Hello i'm presently doing a project on how swiffer works thank you for you advice :) I really need help!