Why A Swiffer 2-In-1 Just Won't Cut It For Giving Floors A Deep Clean

Your floors are dirtier than you think. Foot traffic, fallen crumbs, and spilled drinks all contribute to the party of filth happening under your toes. A Swiffer 2-in-1 is convenient for eliminating the muck with its disposable pads, wet and dry function, and swivel head. However, relying on this tool to deep clean the floors is one of the mistakes that you're making with a Swiffer.

A deep clean washes away the caked-on debris, grease, and grime that builds up and seeps into the crevices — helping preserve the floors' finish and improve the health of your environment. The Swiffer 2-in-1 only cleans your floor's surface. The dry cloth traps pet hair and dust, while the wet pad has a built-in scrubber and cleaning solution to get sticky messes. It is stellar for daily maintenance and prepping your hardwood or tile for a deep clean but not for the routine heavy-duty cleanse.

The 2-in-1 Swiffer is great for quick messes like dust or footprint tracks, but considering you should vacuum before using your Swiffer, it's not sufficient for deep cleaning. The dry cloth is ideal for hair and fine particles but doesn't lock in large debris. The runaway Cheerios have to be swept or vacuumed up. The pad also won't get into the groove or grout lines to remove dirt — the same happens with the wet cloth.

Unlike a traditional mop with multiple flexible fibers to reach between the tiles or cater to the curves in the ground, the Swiffer is leveled, and its flat head only tackles the surface. What's a deep clean without scrubbing grout lines or the corners of the baseboard? The wet cloths also dry out quickly, meaning you'd need a lot of refills to truly give your tile or hardwood a thorough mopping. But either way, the wet pad doesn't absorb much liquid. If your glass of water spills, reaching for the Swiffer won't be a great choice. It would be like using a baby wipe to soak up mess.

The 2-in-1 device can help with your deep cleaning but doesn't replace a vacuum or mop. Swiffer recommends dusting the surface with its dry pad and then mopping before finishing with the Swiffer wet cloth for any missed spots. However, to properly deep clean your floors depends on your kind of flooring.

The best equipment to deep clean your floors depends on their material. For textured tile and natural stone, you'll need a stiff bristle broom and steam mop. The heavy-duty broom will unlock dust and debris nestled in the groves. Then, you can go in with a steam mop to eliminate caked-on grime. You don't need any other cleaning solution than water when operating a steam mop — the hot vapor lifts stains and kills bacteria. You can tackle other tiling like porcelain and vinyl with a regular mop or spin mop and a multi-purpose cleaner. Of course, you'll need to sweep or Swiffer first.

For hardwood, start with a dust mop, like your Swiffer 2-in-1, for the surface clean. Then, for the deep part, grab a mop and your favorite wood floor cleaner. You can make a homemade solution with ½ a cup of white distilled vinegar and a gallon of warm water. Wetting the mop head and not the floors is important since excess water can damage wood. If there are any stains, try scraping them with a putty knife before wiping them away with a microfiber cloth. You'll enjoy the deep-cleaned shiny hardwood and squeaky tiles and still have your 2-in-1 Swiffer for everyday messes.