The Sweerper Vac is easy to assemble and must be charged before the first use for 24 hours. I think that the charging is probably my biggest problem with this. Although I realize even an iPod must charge for hours, a whole day seems like a long time for less than 30 minutes of performance time. Still, I have used this product 3 or 4 times already on the first charge. Unless you have many or unusually large uncarpeted floors, I don’t think this will be a problem.

Like the original Swiffer, the clothes pick up those minute particles but use of static. The vacuum which flips out of the way so you can apply the Swiffer cloth is fairly quiet and picks up everything I had previously used the broom for like crumbs, string and kitty litter so I have to use 1 less tool to clean. The vacuum even works well on some carpet and rugs so I use it to clean my bathroom and kitchen mats as well. The vacuum is bagless and dirt is stored in a little cup on the unit which must be emptied out.

This Sweeper Vac is pretty lightweight which makes it easy to use and I think it would be great on any hard stairs. But don’t expect this to replace your full sized machine. It also makes it easy to store by hanging up.

You will need to replace the Swiffer cloths (2 come with the original kit) as well as the filters periodically. However, the sweepable surfaces in my home are few and small so I don’t imagine I will have to do this periodically.

So far, I am really happy with my Swiffer Sweeper Vac but I am curious as to how well it will hold up over time.

Basically, this little cleaning pad works well for just about everything as die-hard fans will surely attest. The box advertises a bunch of places you might try the Mr Clean Magic Eraser pads including “ranges, refrigerators, plastic patio furniture, floor tile grout, athletic shoe soles, scuff marks and dirt from walls, floors and doors” and you can even use it to break “up tough bathroom soap scum.”

It works well for scuffs and smudges on floors and walls. I used it around the plug ins and light switches where finger and hand prints show up. If you have furniture against a wall, this will work well to get rid of any smudges; I cleaned off the marks from our bedroom door handle on the wall.

If you have kids, crayons and the like on the wall will be a breeze to clean off. Your bathroom will sparkle like new if you use it on your tub, tile and porcelain surfaces.

There is a mop, too! If your messes are extra stubborn, you can try the Extra Power cleaning pads ; although the original will probably do the trick. You can also try the Magic Eraser Duo which has 2 sides, one to penetrate surface grooves and the other to wipe up everday messes.

And the best thing is, there’s no clean up. Wet the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Pad so that it’s damp and scrub away. The dampness creates a bit of a chalky conistancy and the pad is scrubbed away as you use it so you use it all the way (or most of the way) up and there’s nothing to throw away!

If you haven’t used Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Foaming Cleaner Cleaning Pads, you’re missing out!

Lysol Disinfecting Wipes 4in1 – Citrus Scent are simplay amazing. I like wipes because I don’t have to touch anything dirty and I can just throw them away. I’ve always hated using washcloths to do surface cleaning because I felt like the cloths became dirty and then I didn’t want to touch them anymore.

I’ve used a variety of wipes including Clorox and generic brands as well but really prefer the Lysol Disinfecting Wipes; they’re tough and thick without being a hassle (the new, thicker Clorox wipes are sort of quilted in a way that makes it easy to catch on sharp corners, fingernails et cetera).

Besides wiping up visible messes, the Lysol Disinfecting Wipes disinfect and kill the germs and bacteria the eye can’t see so they’re perfect for use in the kitchen (counter tops, refrigerator, freezer) and bathroom (counters, toilet, handles) where germs like to live.

I’d say the “4 in 1″ claim is a bit exaggerated because the “4″ things are that they kill germs, clean messes, are strong wipes and can be used in the kitchen and bathroom.

Silly advertising aside, these wipes are definitely handy to have around!

A recent air freshener product I picked up is a new concept, or at least a concept new to me, as is combined air freshener with dish washing liquid in the same container.

When it came time to replace my dish soap, I picked up Dawn’s Simple Pleasures in Apple/Pear. This product contains not only Dawn’s extra condensed liquid soap (known as Dawn Ultra) but has a separate compartment at the bottom of the bottle where small fragrant, waterproof beads are housed.

I’ve never been super picky about dish soap, as long as it smells fine. This product smells relatively pleasant but I think it might smell better if it were just apple or pear scented which is a bit of a shame considering as it’s also an air freshener which brings us to its unique new function.

The bottom of the container is also a separate compartment for Dawn’s freshness beads which scent the air of the same Apple/Pear smell. The compartment, with vertical slits in the front and back of the bottle, is originally covered with tape. The instructions tell you to remove both pieces of tape for maximum scent but I only pulled off the tape from the front.

Even so, Dawn Simple Pleasures is a very effective air freshener and my kitchen kitchen is immersed in its scent. It wasn’t immediately noticeable but after a short time, it became very powerful. Even my husband noticed.

The bottle claims that the scent will last for several weeks so I imagine the dish washing liquid will last much longer. It’s a shame and the product would probably work better if the freshener and liquid lasted approximately the same amount of time.

What I love about this is that the air freshener is apart of the package. Dishwashing liquid is something I always have on my counter so I don’t need to make room for the air freshener on the counter or take up socket room like plug-in fresheners.

I really like the idea of Dawn Simple Pleasures Dish wash liquid and air freshener. I think it’s a line they could expand on and while the Apple/Pear scent is okay, I think they could do better by focusing on one scent. The freshness beads are very strong and would be perfect if they lasted as long as the dish soap itself. However, I am still satisfied.

They’re very simple creatures; simple enough, in fact, that this review might seem silly. But I’d like to recommended the Scotch Brite Dish Wand to you so here I am, reviewing it.

The wand you buy comes with a sponge head which is replaceable. Depending on the wand you buy, you may get just a sponge or the heavy duty sponge, which has 2 layers: 1 yellow softer sponge on bottom and 1 green scrub sponge on top. I picked up the Heavy Duty Dish Wand because it was all they had. Scratch refills can also be purchased for those really tough jobs.

So what makes this more than a sponge on a stick? Well, the “stick” or the handle is hollow and you filled it with your dish soap of choice. (The end is a cap which screws off.) The soap is then dispensed into the sponge via a tiny hole; it took me a few minutes to locate it when I was actively trying – although this was when there was already soap bubbles on the wand.

Once you fill up the Scotch Brite Dish Wand, you’re good to go. This method really helps regulate the amount of dish soap you use, helping you reduce waste. Furthermor, you always have an adequate amount of bubbles on the sponge to really clean your dishes.

The sponges are typical Scotch Brite quality and the heavy duty sponge head works well for scrubbing dried on food. Of course, after some use (it will vary depending on how many dishes and how dirty they are), the heads will need to be removed. You can probably prolong the life of the dish wand heads by being careful around sharp utensils such as knifes. Nevertheless, they will need to be replaced and doing so is easy, and fairly cheap; the replacement heads seem to run around $2/2 pack.

I love that the Scotch Brite Dish Wand keeps my clean and while making my dishes the same. I love that I save dish soap in the process. I love that I don’t need to use a big, bulky sponge to scrub my dishes.

Of course, there are several aspects I don’t love. Traditional bottle brushes will work better for some dishes (bottles, glasses, jugs) because the heads are more malleable and straight. The particular angle of the Dish Wand doesn’t work well. Sometimes I can’t reach and often, with glasses, I feel like I cannot clean the bottom of glasses adequately.

Also, most of the Dish Wand is plastic which doesn’t make it a very “green” product. I can accept the handle as it doesn’t need to be replaced and can probably be used for some time but each of the replaceable heads have some chunks of plastic on them which get tosses out with the rest of the head. However, for the convenience and cleanliness it offers, I’m willing to make that sacrifice. You might disagree.

If you want something to make doing dishes easier and almost, maybe, a little fun – check out the Scotch Brite Dish Wand!

Still, it was quicker and less messy than a mop. I don’t like to be on contact with surfaces that seem dirty and the Swiffer Wet Jet All-In-One Power Mop Starter Kit provides me with the “barrier” I need to clean yet stay clean myself.

However, when I purchased a newSwiffer Wet Jet after moving, I was quite disappointed. Version 2.0, or whatever it is, requires batteries and they are not included! I’m not sure why this version needs batteries, but it’s just another thing to replace. If the original could do without, why not this one?

Also, this one was much more complicated to put together. The battery area requires extra pieces. With the original, it was easy to put it together but I actually had to follow directions with all the new pieces.

The revamped Swiffer Wet Jet tries to look classy but instead looks cheap and plasticy. Indeed, when there are spots I need to scrub, I sometimes wonder if I won’t break the shaft of this machine because it bends and feels weak.

As others have mentioned, the pads, solution and sponge all need to be changed fairly frequently. Although it depends how often you use your Swiffer, how much dirt you mop up and how large of an area you have to mop, refilling these articles may cost you next to nothing or an arm and a leg.

However, compared to the wet mopping pads on a regular swiffer, the Swiffer Wet Jet seems to be a vast improvement, especially when it comes to scrubbing with the provided attachments (in the case of the Wet Jet, a small, rough sponge attached via welcro the the side of the mop).

Overall, the Swiffer Wet Jet is an improvement over traditional mopping systems, but it could be more efficient and if the company continues to utilize such inefficient “upgrades,” I see myself parting with the Swiffer Wet Jet All-In-One Power Mop if something better comes along.