The Evolution of Domestic Cleaning

Who uses mops, dusters, scrubbers, and buckets full of water nowadays when you can use the Swiffer? I don’t know about you, but most of the people in my social network owns at least one kind of Swiffer, if not more. Basically, there is the Sweeper, Duster, and WetJet within the Swiffer product line to perform various functions. Depending on what you need your Swiffer for, you can use the Sweeper to sweep, Duster to dust, or WetJet to mop. In addition, there are designated cleaning supplies to go with these cleaning tools, such as the dry and wet cloths that go with the Sweeper so that soap and water are not needed. Instead, you simply put one of these cloths on your Sweeper and you can start cleaning without the mess, not to mention the fact that you are saving water! I think the Swiffer is an extremely creative and innovative household tool that has changed the world of domestic cleaning. Not only is it convenient, but it is also fun to use.

I own a Sweeper and mostly use it with the wet cloth. Although the Sweeper is supposed to be used for sweeping, I actually use it to “mop” the floor as well with the wet cloths. I noticed that it wasn’t really doing a good job of mopping, and now I realize, after doing some research on the Swiffer website (http://www.swiffer.com/en_US/home.do) that there was another Swiffer (the WetJet) that was designed to mop which I never really knew about. I had just bought the general Swiffer (the green one) and thought it was supposed to mop. But even though the Sweeper wasn’t intended to mop, I still use it to sweep and mop. This demonstrates that one Swiffer can be used for multi-purposes. Procter and Gamble uses technological innovation to develop the Swiffer in a manner that makes it easy for consumers to use. They can also measure consumers’ attitudes towards the Swiffer more effectively through information systems, tracking, and their interactive website. In addition, they are able to quickly test new products such as the Swiffer because of innovative technology. In “The New, Faster Face of Innovation” by Brynjolfsson and Schrage, they state that “they can stick features on Web sites and tell within hours how customers respond.” The Swiffer website contains promotions, cleaning solutions, and tips. So they not only offer the product, they also provide information on how to effectively use the product so the user can make the most out of their cleaning experience.

The Swiffer is creative and innovative for several reasons. First, the look of the Swiffer itself is creative and innovative. Most cleaning supplies look dull and boring, but the Swiffer has a sleek look to it with bright colors which contributes to the feel that it is fun and easy to use. In addition, some cleaning tools look so dirty and used that I don’t want to touch it and even feel icky because of the way it looks. Also as stated before, the Swiffer line of products limits the amount of tools and supplies you need to clean. You get rid of the mops, brooms, dusters, scrubbers, soap, and water, and instead replace it with a simple stick (Sweeper and Duster) or light-weight vacuum (WetJet) and cloths for the Sweeper and brushes for the Duster. And don’t forget the fact that the Sweeper can be used to sweep and mop. This makes cleaning easy, especially because these tools were designed in a way that users can get to hard-to-reach places. All of the Swiffer product lines are flexible and bend in ways that standard mops and brooms cannot. This simplicity and ease-of-use is often demonstrated in the Swiffer television commercials where a woman “dumps” her old, messy cleaning supplies for the simple, flashy Swiffer. These ads aim to influence consumers’ physical and behavioral actions. The Swiffer “enriches customers’ lives by enhancing their physical experiences, showing them alternative ways of doing things,” from the ACT element of the Strategic Experience Module. Another key reason why the Swiffer is innovative is because it has even changed cleaning terminology and has become a brand of its own. At my apartment, when my roommates and I talk about cleaning, we don’t say “we need to mop our floor,” but instead say “we need to Swiffer our floor.” The word Swiffer translates into mop, clean, and sweep. It’s almost like Band-Aids. People don’t usually say “I need a bandage,” but instead say “I need a Band-Aid.” Band-Aids are just one brand of bandages, but most people seem to think “Band-Aid” is the general term for “bandages.” Maybe one day, the Swiffer will become so popular and common that it replaces “mop” and “sweep” as well.