5 Reusable Alternatives to Swiffer Dusters

Swiffer dusters are made of thousands of fluffy fibers coated with a "Dust Lock Adhesive." Truth be told, these are the best dusters I've ever used. Most of my clients preferred the results of these to other dusting methods too. Still, I've always been a little weary of them. I wondered, "What is this magical dust lock adhesive?"

According to the manufacturer (Protor & Gamble), the only ingredient in the unscented variety is mineral oil. Mineral Oil is a petroleum byproduct. Not super green or politically correct, but compared to most other commercial cleaning products it's not very concerning (if that's really all that is on there).

Still, the waste is something to think about. I used about 2 dusters to clean a small apartment every other week. In one year, that's 52 dusters sent to the landfill from just one little home!

I've decided machine-washable reusable dusters are the way to go!

OXO Duster. Image via DIYHouseHelp.com

OXO makes a microfiber hand held duster wand.

OXO extendable duster. Image via AOL Shopping

OXO offers a microfiber duster with an extendable handle that reaches up to 54" which I own and love! It's great for dusting ceiling fans, window blinds, and vents, as well as the tops of door,window frames, and cabinets. It's also awesome for reaching baseboards without having to bend over! Both OXO duster heads come off with a snap.

OXO Cleaning Mitt. Image via Amazon.

For more gentle dusting jobs, consider the OXO cleaning mitt for wet and dry dusting. I've never used it, so I can't verify its quality. Still, I have enjoyed every OXO product I've ever tried so I assume it's also awesome!

(These microfiber dusting gloves and budget brand dusting mitt don't look too shabby either and have good Amazon ratings.)

I found my OXO duster and additional duster heads at The Container Store, but you can also buy them on Amazon via my links or at OXO.com.

When using the dusters, occasionally tap the duster on the side your foot to shake excess onto the floor to be vacuumed later. (Always vacuum after you dust!) It's a good idea to have additional duster heads on hand so you can switch to another when necessary.

To clean duster heads, shake off excess dust outdoors (or out the window) and toss in the wash with the rest of your cleaning cloths. Place them in a lingerie bag, if you have one.

Richard's lambswool duster, stored next to drum sticks for maximum manliness :-P

Other Swiffer duster alternatives include traditional lambswool dusters and ostrich feather dusters. I generally avoid animal products, so I don't use them. Still, they have the benefit of being completely natural and biodegradable, unlike microfiber dusters and Swiffers which are synthetic. My boyfriend loves his lambswool duster. It's one of the few cleaning tools I've ever seen him use!

P.S. Yesterday, I wrote about green alternatives to Swiffer Sweeper and Wet Jet. You might wanna check that out too! 

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

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