This $19 Tool Completely Changed My Cleaning Routine — and I Only Wish I’d Bought It Sooner

By now, you’re probably aware that I love a good home cleaning gadget. From my beloved shower scrub brush to the showerhead I wish had always been a part of my daily routine, nothing excites me more than discovering a life-changing product and sharing it with you. Although I love to test both the odd and new when it comes to devices, sometimes my favorite discoveries happen in the weirdest of ways with products that aren’t exactly “new,” but new to me. Case in point, the product I’m talking about today: Swiffer Dusters Extendable Handle Duster.

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last 20-something years, chances are you’ve heard of Swiffer and might even have one in your home as you read this. Although its infamous WetJet had been a staple in my home growing up, that was about as far as my familiarity with Swiffer went. When it came to dusting, my family either stuck to a damp rag or used one of those traditional feather dusters that resembled something from a Disney film. Needless to say, I was excited to discover something that put its own innovative spin on the basic feather duster.

Featuring an arm that extends up to 3 feet, this duster was exactly what my cleaning routine needed. Unlike what I had used in the past, Swiffer’s Heavy Duty dusters seem to magically grab and hold onto dust instead of just kicking it around. I couldn’t believe how easily it worked. The key lies in the duster’s ample fibers on all sides that actually trap the dust, which you won’t get with a traditional feather duster. And although it looks fluffy, the head effortlessly gets into tight spaces between furniture and decor, leaving every surface it touches spick and span. The duster’s plastic handle also makes it lightweight enough to lift, helping you clean high surfaces like the tops of windows and bookshelves. For just $19, you can pick up the complete kit, which comes with the extendable duster and 12 Heavy Duty duster refills that’ll last you a long time (one usually lasts me a couple of dusting sessions).

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in need of a new dusting solution when I started noticing something odd happening: out of nowhere, giant clumps of dust started appearing all over my living room floor. At first, I had no idea what was going on. As someone who regularly vacuums around and beneath all of their furniture, I couldn’t figure out for the life of me where this dust was coming from — until I looked up. Yes, you guessed it, the mess was coming from my ceiling fan (cue the well-deserved eye rolls). In hindsight, I know that my fan should’ve been the first suspect, but I was never aware of how much dust could accumulate on those five spinning panels. Ah, the joy of living on your own. You live and you learn.

Usually, I would’ve just grabbed my step stool, a damp rag, and called it a day. However, my new apartment has high ceilings, and even with my stool, there was no way I could reach it ( for reference, I’m 5’4). Then, I thought to myself, “Wait, doesn’t Swiffer make dusters that extend?” That’s when I did some digging and picked up one of these extendable kits. You can probably imagine how much dust this pulled off of my fan — ick. I then proceeded to continue “looking up” and pulled more dust down from the tops of my bookshelf, art pieces, and door frames — all without needing a step stool. I was obsessed.

Although dusting is nothing new, if you’ve been looking for a way to make the chore a bit easier and much more efficient — especially if your home has tons of hard-to-reach places — the Swiffer Extender Duster is the way to go. Moral of the story: Keep looking up — as long as you have a Swiffer!

Buy: Swiffer Dusters Extendable Handle Duster, $18.99 Amazon