The Genius Way To Use A Swiffer When Dealing With Pesky Bugs Around The House

Bug problems in the house are never any fun. Pesky flies will fly incessantly around your head, and no amount of swatting will deter them. Spiders lurk in shadowy corners and seem to crawl away at lightning speed when you try to capture them with a cup. And let's not forget those centipedes scuttling near floorboards, looking for a hole to squeeze through. These pests must be removed from the house, but a regular fly swatter isn't much help. It's small and requires you to have killer aim to actually get them mid-flight or scuttle. However, a Swiffer can help.

A Swiffer can act like a super-sized fly swatter, helping you eliminate your pests with more ease. And since most people already own this ingenious tool, you can just use something you already have in your home rather than buying a gadget from Amazon. If you're ready to give your Swiffer a second job, grab it from your cleaning closet and prepare to swat. 

You will want to use your Swiffer exactly the same way you would use a fly swatter or rogue shoe. You will use it to smack the bug, killing it with the force or the downward stroke. That means it will be most beneficial to keep the Swiffer not in the cleaning closet, but where you are currently having a pest problem. For example, if your kitchen window has a ripped screen that lets flies through, keep the Swiffer by the window. Or if your bedroom is prone to spiderwebs, keep the sweeper there. Then, once you see the bug in question, grab the tool and try to pin the pest underneath. You can do so by either pinning it to the wall, floor, or ceiling. If going the floor route, it's best to do it on flooring since it can leave a mess behind on a rug or carpet. 

This hack is helpful because of two reasons. First, it gives you more space to work with. Unlike with a fly swatter, the cloth head is usually around 10 inches wide, making it easier to take aim and actually succeed. Second, its long wand helps you get to harder-to-reach areas, such as ceiling corners. This helps you get the bug even as it's flying away. 

If you successfully eliminated your pest, you might want to disinfect your Swiffer afterward. First, you will want to clean it with an all-purpose spray, especially if any residue is left over. Then to disinfect it, you can grab either Clorox wipes or a disinfectant spray like Lysol. These kill 99.9% of germs and viruses, ensuring you have a disinfected surface even after squishing the biggest of bugs. 

This is an important step to take, especially if you still plan to use your Swiffer for general mopping. You want to keep the head as clean as possible so you're not spreading germs or squished insects around your house. If the thought of dirtying your Swiffer makes you feel queasy, you can also put a paper towel over the head to protect the surface. That way, when you kill a bug, all you will have to do is remove the paper towel.