For a Squeaky Clean Shine

Because I live all of my waking hours in a 1 bedroom condo, I generally try to keep it as clean as humanly possible. While I don't especially mind cleaning on an almost daily basis, one job that I really dread is mopping the kitchen and bathroom floors. Obviously there are a lot of people who feel the same way I do about this unglorious task so the cleaning industry has responded by inventing Swiffer-type products.

In addition to owning a traditional mop, I also have a Clorox Ready Mop for those quick, in-between cleanings. Everything was fine until last week, when I literally cracked my Ready Mop in half in a feeble attempt to get a stain off my kitchen floor. Yesterday I mosied on down to my local Wal-Mart to replace it.

Unbeknownst to me, apparently the Swiffer craze has created a whole industry based on disposable cleaning products. Reduce, reuse, and recycle be damned when it comes to creating a need for things like disposable toilet brushes and mopping pads which must be replaced everytime you use them. Wal-Mart literally has an entire aisle dedicated to one-use sponges and car cleaners.

The cleaning industry almost guilts you into buying their new disposable products. Who knew that by cleaning something I was actually spreading even more germs? I was about ready to pick out a new Swiffer until I saw something that scared me even more than germs themselves: a $20 price tag just for the unit. Add that to the $10 disposable mopping pads and $4 cleaner and it became very apparent that my floor wasn't going to be the only thing getting the once-over.

Rather than cough up that kind of money only to be forced to buy expensive replacement parts, I went for the $3 old-fashioned floor cleaner. Sure it may take an extra five minutes to clean the floors but I'm humble enough to admit that 5 minutes of my leisure time isn't worth the additional investment in a Swiffer.

I'm not not as much of an environmentalist as I am a cheapskate. Therefore, I find it absolutely batty that someone would invest in a throw-away product when they can purchase a longer-lasting product for a fraction of the price. As far as the spreading germ theory, whatever doesn't kill you will only make you stronger, right?