I’m a little embarrassed to admit this but I bought a Swivel Sweeper. You know, that little stick “vacuum” that can suck up anything and is a perpetual Sunday afternoon infomercial?
I work from home. My kids are home most of the time. Kids + kids eating + plus home office = mess. The days when my kids eat three meals at home plus snacks are particularly gruesome. If I bend down one more time to clean up crumbs I might just lose my head.
My husband says I’ve tried enough of these products that I should write reviews. Well, maybe he’s right…so here’s one.
First I want to point out that I am not being paid by anyone to write this, nor am I endorsing any product. I’m just a mom who wants to share what works for me. For those who telecommute or not, we all need a quick way to clean up. Given that I have a central vacuum system with a 30-ft hose, I prefer to not have to drag it out every time my kids eat. I also live in a house with spiral stairs so bringing a stick vac down to my office is ideal.
We lost the charger to our Broom Vac and dirtdevil.com seemed to have it “out of stock” forever, so I bought the Swivel Sweeper. I like the fact that it can “swivel”, is cordless, and it doesn’t have a filter. I find that the filters in things such as the Dustbuster become really stinky after time. I’m not looking to clean the whole house here, just pick up some crumbs, and maybe some paper clips, wayward mini-Legos, cheerios…you get the idea.
I am pleased that this thing actually works! It is much better than the unfortunate Swiffer Carpet Flick (I really do try a lot of products). I like that the unit head really swivels around everything including chair legs. It works on low pile carpet, wood floors and tile. It has picked up paper clips, crumbs, leaves, and dirt although I sometimes have to go over the area a second time. And this thing is light. At only 2 lbs. my 20-month-old loves to push it around.
Best of all is that there is no waste–I just hold the unit over the trash can and use one hand (one hand!) to pinch the little red tabs that open the door on the bottom and let all of the debris pour out.
The only potential drawback is that you must empty it after every use. I often use a hand vacuum such as the Dustbuster and then simply put it back into its charging station. Now that I’ve written this I realize this could be part of the stinky filter problem. But come on, do you really empty it every time? I didn’t think so. With the Swivel Sweeper, however, the debris can slide out of the compartment on the bottom. I once took it from the closet, still full, and a bunch of gunk came tumbling out onto the floor. Lesson learned. I’d love to hear what other readers use to keep their home office clean and tidy.
Filed under: office tips, productivity
