Originally, I wrote a pretty good review for the Swiffer Sweeper+Vac and I must admit I have cooled on it these recent weeks. It seems that the suction has become severely impaired and I’m not sure if it’s just because it’s a poor product or if I’m not switching the filters frequently enough. One thing’s for sure: the filters are a pain and seem really wasteful. I’m almost considering a Kone vacuum or Dust Buster instead. Still, I do like the Swiffer products and think my mom ought to have one for her hardwood floors.

I also wrote about the Strawberry scented Carmex I had just discovered and recently finished up. I am sad to say that, as time goes on, the product seems to much less strawberry scented and much more Carmex scented. Toward the end of using it, it seems like you can’t really tell it’s scented at all. Needless to say, I went back to Chapstick.

I can also say that my Time Warner Cable service has not gotten any better. In fact, I’ve noticed a lot of glitching and lagging recently which doesn’t make it any easier to enjoy a program on the television.

Remember a few posts about my previous host? Well, I decided “enough was enough” in January and have since been with a new and wonderful host these last couple months. I can say, with all certainty, I would never recommend Neureal to anyone.

Currently, I am at Mom’s for a few weeks so reviews might be scarce but, then again, you never know! It’s surprisingly cold for the beginning of March here and I hope it warms up or Samantha’s spring break will be frigid!

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.

One of which is the Swiffer Duster. There are several pieces in this line, the regular duster and the one with the Extendable Handle, which is what I got. It extends up to 3 feet so it makes it easy to get those hard to reach places. But what makes the Swiffer Duster such an improvement over a regular feather duster or rag is that the dust cloths are made from the same lint-attracting material as other Swiffer products. Instead of just pushing around the dust, the Swiffer duster actually collects it and removes it from the surface.

With 2 refills (actually, I think mine had more), the Swiffer dusters themselves are easy to use. Shake them out to fluffy them up, slide them on the hand and you’re ready to go.

The nice thing about the extendable handle is that it pivots so you can set it an an angle to dust the top of something tall, like an entertainment center or perhaps even a ceiling fan.

I found these really do pick up dust well and make the job a breeze. If there’s 1 thing I’m not so fond about it’s that the refills are relatively flat, not round like many feather dusters, so there’s only 2 sides to use. However, Swiffer has a new 360 Duster that should do the trick for that.

Helpful Hint: When dusting with a dry duster, light candles. They will not only freshen up the room and add atmosphere but will also burn up any dust in the air.

The other is a pack of Medium sized hooks with Command Adhesive by 3M. It might sound silly that I would review something so small, so simply but it’s also so effective.

I bought a 6Pack of Medium Command Hooks which came with 12 adhesive strips so that you can reuse the hooks. This is perfect when you don’t have any air tools and don’t want to leave a mess.

Right now I’m using 3 of them in my cook/shoe closet to hang up my broom, Swiffer and the previously mentioned Swiffer Duster. Because I have no space in my pantry and no other kitchen closet, I had to shove these items in my coat closet. However, the floor was already full of shoes so I decided to “build up” instead.

Peel off the line on the adhesive strips, stick it to the hook, stick the hook on the wall and wait an hour. The medium sized hooks are meant to hold up to 3lbs but 3M makes hooks as small as mini and as large as jumbo as well as hooks with different shapes and even chrome hooks to add a little style.

So far, I’ve had no problems. The hooks stick wonderfully and my Swiffer Wet is probably over the 3lb limit (although the fluid bottle is not full).

When it comes time to take them down, all I need to do is push up on the hook and it will slide off, revealing the end of the adhesive tab. Removing them, which I have done before, is simply a matter of pulling the tab until it comes undone and your wall is free of damage and residue.

Helpful Hint: When organizing in a small space, build up rather than out.

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.