Method Omop Vs Swiffer Sweeper and Swiffer WetJet
The Method brand of cleaning product is made by the Method Company who is dedicated to offering a line of non-toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products at a reasonable price. Proctor and Gamble makes the Swiffer line of products. Proctor and Gamble has been criticized for many years for production practices that send large amounts of pollutants into the air and local water sources. They are also notorious for using over 50,000 animals a year for product testing.
Performance
The Method Floor Cleaning System consists of a curved mop that can be fitted with a microfiber cloth for mopping or disposable sweeping cloths. The Method omop handle curves and flips so that you can easily get under furniture. It is lightweight and the head also easily swivels to clean around obstacles. The Method omop handles much easier than the Swiffer Sweeper or Swiffer WetJet. It is much lighter than the Swiffer WetJet and is more durable. I broke three of the Swiffer WetJet units when I was mopping and have not broken the first Method omop that bought. The curved handle of the omop allows the user to put use more pressure without the handle breaking. The Method omop is also easier to store away since it is light enough to hang on a wall hook and is much less bulky. It is about the same size and weight as the Swiffer Sweeper but it maneuvers better and the curved shape of the handle and looped end make it easier on my back and arms.
The microfiber cleaning cloth sticks on the Method omop head with Velcro-like attachments and stays very secure throughout the moping. The disposable sweeping clothes do a great job of picking up dust dirt, small particles and pet fur. They are textured and electrostatic so that it keeps what it picks up on the cloth and does not just push it around or send the fur up into the air. It even does a good job of trapping bird feathers. The mop pads for the Swiffer WetJet also stick with Velcro-like attachments, but they do not seem to stay on as well as the Method omop pads. The Method and Swiffer sweeper clothes performed in a very similar manner.
Toxicity and Environmental Impact
Environmentally the Method omop is better than the Swiffer products. The method cleaning solutions are non-toxic, biodegradable, not tested on animals, and have a much better smell than the Swiffer WetJet cleaning solution products. The Method all-purpose floor cleaner smells like lemon ginger while the Method Wood Floor Cleaner smells like almonds. The Swiffer WetJet cleaning products just have a slightly perfumed smell. The Swiffer cleaning product does not contain phosphates but are also not labeled as non-toxic. The Swiffer WetJet does require batteries while the Method omop simply requires you to squire the cleaning solution on the floor or directly on the microfiber pad. The Method disposable Sweeping Clothes are compostable and made from corn, while the Swiffer Sweeping Clothes are not compostable and made from petroleum products.
The Method Microfiber cleaning clothes are washable and reusable, while both the wet clothes for the Swiffer Sweeper and pad for the Swiffer WetJet are for one-time use. They both are disposable and made from petroleum products.
Method products use the most readily recyclable materials for their packaging. Swiffer products have more packaging and only some items are recyclable.
Price*
The price for the All- Floor omop which comes with 3 sweeping clothes, a washable microfiber mop pad, and a 14oz bottle of lemon ginger cleaner is $24.99. The Swiffer Sweeper was $9.89 while the Swiffer WetJet with 2 Swiffer WetJet pads and a small bottle of multipurpose floor cleaner was $19.99. You would really need to purchase both Swiffer products to comparatively clean the same way as using the Method omop, so the Method omop would be $4.89 cheaper.
The Method omop sweeping clothes are $4.99 for 16 and they are 14″ x 9″. The Swiffer Sweeper sweeping clothes are $4.54 for 16 and they are 10.59″x 8″. This means the Swiffer sweeping clothes are about $.03 cheaper per cloth.
The Method omop microfiber mop pads are $4.99 each and can be used at least 50 times according to the label. The Swiffer WetJet pads are $3.94 for 12. This means the each Swiffer WetJet pad is about $.33, while each use of the Method omop mop mad is $.10 each.
The Method omop all- floor cleaning solution is $4.99 for 25oz, while the Swiffer WetJet multipurpose cleaning solution is $3.44 for 33.8oz. This means the Method omop solution is about $.20 per oz while the Swiffer WetJet solution is about $.10 per oz.
In figuring an annual total usage price, I estimated buying only one Method omop or one Swiffer Sweeper and one Swiffer WetJet. I estimated using two sweeping clothes and mop pads a week, and 5oz of cleaning solution. Using the Method omop and its cleaning products would be $9.69 cheaper per year than using the Swiffer Sweeper and Swiffer WetJet and their cleaning products.
So in conclusion the Method omop works better, is safer and friendlier to the environment, and has a lower annual cost than the Swiffer Sweeper and WetJet.
*All prices are based on the sticker price at my local Target store in May of 2007.
