Until a few months ago, I didn’t own a mop. Sloshing water around on the floor with some rags on a stick that was repeatedly dipped in bucket of soapy water never seemed like it would actually clean the floors. I relied exclusively on the mop attachment on my robot vacuum to wipe the floors semi clean.

And then I got a Swiffer combination wet and dry mop. I was initially skeptical; my memory of Swiffer was the dry mop my mother used in the early 2000s. While my new Swiffer Sweeper 2-in-1 had definitely worked better than the mop on my robot vacuum, it didn’t blow me away.

But after I got the opportunity to get some tips from the experts at P&G (the makers of the Swiffer), I realized that I’d been using it wrong. I tried it again: my floors have never been cleaner and it took me almost no time at all.

Swiffer Sweeper 2-in-1 Dry + Wet Floor Mopping and Sweeping Kit

This new iteration of the Swiffer combines the classic dry Swiffer with the power of a mop. The starter kit includes one sweeper, 14 dry sweeping cloths, and five wet mopping cloths. It’s safe to use on tile, hardwood, and LVP or vinyl flooring.

I remember my mom’s Swiffer from the early 2000s well, and let me tell you, this is not my mother’s Swiffer.

First, it’s way stronger. I remember that old pole feeling almost a little flimsy. The pole on the 2-in-1 is telescoping and couldn’t be stronger. The telescoping build means that it’s collapsible, which is super helpful for people like me who live in an apartment and have limited space. It also has a nice grippy handle.

Want more of our favorite products? Sign up for our free shopping newsletter for our top finds, best sales, and more!

5 Ways I Was Using My Swiffer Wrong (And You Probably Are Too)

• Not Doing an S-Sweep: That s-shaped sweeping you see in commercials is not just for looks. It’s actually how you’re supposed to use a Swiffer. When I was mopping without the s-curve, I pushed a lot of grime to the perimeter of the room. When I switched to an s-curve, I picked up all the little bits of dirt and grime.
• Immediately scrubbing stains: When I spotted a particularly dirty spot on the floor (a dried glob of yogurt—or something), I scrubbed at it immediately. The right way to use a Swiffer is to swipe the wet mop over the dirty spot once and give it a second before you start scrubbing. It comes up so much easier.
• Not using the dry mop first: Previously I had swept before using the wet mop. But it was using the dry mop on the Swiffer first that really got all the bits of dirt and crumbs and hair off the floor and readied it for the wet mop. The sweep wasn’t enough.
• Working harder instead of using the scrubby edge: Each wet mopping cloth has a scrubbing strip. Rather than just pushing the mop over a tough mess over and over again, you can flip the head over and scrub at it with the scrubbing strip.
• Ignoring the locking hed: The Swiffer Sweeper head usually rotates seamlessly, but if you flip it over and push down, you can lock it into place and keep it at a consistent angle. It makes it really easy to use the scrubbing edge on tough stains or dry mop hard-to-reach areas.

How I Clean My Floors in 15 Minutes

My experiences with mopping at my parents’ house were what kept me from getting a mop. The idea of filling a bucket, mixing a cleaning solution, and then mopping—while regularly replacing the water because it just got so dirty—was just painful.

With the Swiffer Sweeper 2-in-1, I’m done in 15 minutes, start to finish. I extend the pole and put on a soft cloth and grab any of the remaining bits of grit and dirt the latest sweep didn’t pick up. If the dry cloth isn’t that dirty, I’ll fold it in on itself and set it aside for another use later.

I pop the wet cloth on and start making my s-curves. I probably have 750 square feet of moppable space in my apartment, and I can cover all of it in less than 10 minutes.

The wet cloth goes in the trash, I collapse the pole, and it goes back in the closet. It couldn’t be easier.

And so, I apologize to my floors. I neglected you for far too long. If I’d known it was this easy, I would’ve been mopping years ago.

Editor’s note: The writer received products for editorial consideration, but all opinions are her own.