Swiffer

Swiffer is a household cleaning brand recognized for creating convenient tools that rely on disposable refills. Its product line includes wet and dry mops, and spray systems, all designed around ease of use and quick cleaning. By centering its brand on solution cartridges, Swiffer has become synonymous with disposable cleaning systems that trade sustainability for convenience, making it an example of consumable-driven product design in the home products market.

Swiffer

Basic information
Founded	1837-10-31
Legal Structure	Public
Industry	Household Products
Official website	https://www.swiffer.com/

Consumer-impact summary

Swiffer’s design specifically with the WetJet and PowerMop limits consumer freedom by locking consumers into proprietary solution bottles and disposable pads that cannot be refilled. The product exemplifies a restrictive model where ongoing revenue depends on consumables rather than the tool itself. If Swiffer allowed the user to refill and reuse the cleaning solution containers, the consumer would save money, and reduce carbon footprint due to the recycling of the plastic container that is otherwise useless when empty.

Although Swiffer, or its parent company, P&G, have never been sued over the mops, they have been victims of significant public discontent with their solutions, sparking several third-party solutions.

DIY Fix

As with all bugs, this one can be fixed, allowing the user to purchase the mop once, including the solution, and never purchase a refill container. There are several videos on Youtube on how to complete this fix.