Cheerful Frugality’s Clean Sweep
Hello, my name is Meredith, and I'm obsessed with floor cleaning tools.
The Swiffer, the steamer, the professional grade dust mop...I have spared no expense in my quest for a clean floor.
We all have our weak spots when it comes to marketing. I wrestle with contentment.
If I only had better carpet...
If I only had a darker stain on these hardwoods...
If only everyone would remember to take off their shoes...
I want ease, not effort, and I'm sometimes willing to pay for a product which promises it.
You know what I've finally decided? A rag + my hands and knees works best of all.
I know, I know. My knees can't take it for long, either. But it's a great reminder that the most expensive tools aren't always the most effective.
Here are my basic frugal floor tools:
- A vacuum that can be used on hard surface floors. The pros I know recommend Oreck, and I've bought 3 at yard sales for under $20 each.
- An angled broom for food and paper scraps. Works much better when I remember to wash its synthetic bristles. Cut the handle down so that kids can use it efficiently.
- A floor mop with a washable pad is a good substitute for hands-and-knees. I use old terry washcloths for pads.
- Washable mats at each door keep grit from ruining your floors. My favorite kind of cleaning--passive!
I do the best I can with what I have. But if I ever build a kitchen from scratch, you can bet I'll be installing a floor drain in the middle!
Have you discovered a frugal trick for cleaning your floors--or splurged on a tool which didn't pass muster? Let me know!
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17 Responses to “Cheerful Frugality’s Clean Sweep”
May 5th, 2008 at 5:50 am
I am a hands and knees mopper too. Nothing makes it sparkle as well. But I do also love the swiffer. Mostly because the adjustable handle means my kids do it for me
May 5th, 2008 at 6:00 am
Rag and hands and knees here, too. How funny! I think it works best because you can see much better what needs to be cleaned when you’re up close. My kitchen floor suffers so much now that all 3 kids can get their own breakfasts, lunches and snacks. Yikes, can they make a mess!
May 5th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Oh my you are a person after my own heart! I have now pulled up most of the carpet in my house. My wood floors are best cleaned by the Stanley broom (cadillacs of brooms IMO)or a shop vac! Yes we have an oreck, but we truly prefer our craftsman shop vac. It will take up every thing. I thought the swiffer would be the answer, it was not.
So many products I have bought but the two basics of a rag and some suds are the best cleaner in the world!
May 5th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Sometimes splurging on the best is a frugal idea in the end. The Dyson Animal, for example, is pricey but cleans better than any and has a five year warranty. So, for many, it will be a better deal in the long run.
PS for my hardwood, I do a pass with the mop and then hit the hard spots with my hand-held rag. You’re right about that being the best in the end!
May 5th, 2008 at 7:50 am
I’ve found that a great way to keep my floors clean is to had each of my kids a rag while I’m clearing the table of washing dishes and have them spot mop. It’s a great way to get them involved in the cleaning up process.
May 5th, 2008 at 7:59 am
I’m a hands and knees gal too. I use one of those plastic covered gardener’s knee mats. They work wonders.
My favorite floor cleaning thingie? Miracle Clothes from Solutions.com I think they make a huge difference compared to rags or other clothes.
I’ve used all kinds of microfiber cleaning clothes, but these are worth every penny. I put them on the bottom of my wide body Swiffer for inbetween cleaning and off I go…
May 5th, 2008 at 9:48 am
We use a hardwood floor steamer (yes a steamer). We bought it 8 years ago for like $150 and it cleans better than anything we’ve ever used. It’s definitely paid for itself repeatedly.
It doesn’t use any harsh chemical either, just steam.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:59 am
We can start a club Meredith! We’ll call it “Clean Floors”! I share your obsession! We have two indoor kitties hence a litter box, which absolutely drives me crazy when I can feel the little granules of cat litter under my bare feet on the floor around the box. I am constantly sweeping and mopping.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:55 am
I have found that really a broom works best, and a rag on the floor. I will use a regular sponge mop for big cleaning and then go over sticky spots and along the edges with a microfiber cloth.
This reminds me my kitchen floor is absolutely thilthy right now and it’s on my to-do list for this afternoon!
May 5th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I, too, just get down on my hands and knees with a soapy bucket of water and get to it. I can never seem to keep mops nice and find I usually end up having to scrub by myself anyway. Anyway, Cinderella did it that way, and I love watching that movie for the cheerful way she cleans that way!!
I have seen an infomercial for the H2O steamer/mop and it looked nice but didn’t want to buy it without some testimonials… I’d be interested to know if anyone out there has one or recommends that…
Anyway,thanks for sharing!
Blessings,
Katie
May 5th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Yeah, I’ve been really disappointed by cleaning gadgets and brand name cleaners. Plain ol’ rags work wonders. I gave away the Swiffers this year and went back to using a mop with a reusable sponge pad — when I don’t just get on my hands and knees with a rag.
Cleaning solutions are mostly hype, too. I worked off and on for months trying to get a stain off of the stove top. I tried sooo many products. Then I decided for the heck of it to try baking soda and a little water. It came right up.
May 5th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I thought I was the only one who cleaned on my knees! I’m so glad I can come out the closet! It bugs hubby a little – he likes to think I clean by magic wand or something:)
May 5th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Hi, when I do scrub floors on a weekly basis, it is only for my bathrooms and I do do it on my hands and knees with rags and a bucket. I vacuum all other floors and rarely have to scrub non-bathroom floors as I have maintained a no-shoes policy for 2 decades. If you are a real stickler for it, family members will follow. It is actually a lovely ritual to leave the cares of the world behind, your floors last so much longer, and you clean much less often. Passive cleaing indeed!
May 5th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
I totally agree!
Something that also really has helped keep my floors clean is learning from my husband to take my shoes off at the door. It was novel to me when we first got married – but it makes a big difference!
May 6th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Makes me think of that song “If I Had a Million Dollars”…. by BNK.
Lisa
May 11th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I, too, have tried every single type of mop (I have only hardwoods downstairs). But since I switched to chemical-free cleaning using only microfiber and water, I cannot express how great it is! There are tons of microfiber “systems” which are super expensive (although washable and reusable), but I found a huge box of microfiber seconds in the auto department of Walmart for under $5. I tack one to my mop for dry cleaning, and use one wet (with no cleaning products) and it cleans better than any mop I’ve ever tried.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Yo, Meredith, don’t feel so bad. The genius who built this house (sarcasm here) must not have liked cold feet. Because our kitchen is CARPETED! [Bathrooms too.]
(Why did we buy the house then? Not much choice — there were only 14 available houses in our price range during our house hunting trip. We chose the best of a poor selection.)
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