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Welcome to Clean Enough, a new kind of cleaning column for busy home cooks who have better things to do than scrub and sanitize around the clock. Every other week, neurodivergent writer and mom Emily Farris shares tips, tools, and products that can help you stay on top of the dirtiest spots in the kitchen while also dispelling a few cleaning myths and cutting down on clutter.
I’m what you might call “obsessed with floor cleaning devices,” so it’s not unreasonable that for years I’ve been targeted with ads for the Fuller Electrostatic Carpet Sweeper—a manual floor cleaning device that runs on elbow grease and actual static. Even though I already own more vacuum cleaners than I know what to do with, I recently caved and ordered one under the guise of it being for “research purposes.”
The Electrostatic Carpet Sweeper doesn’t suck. But that’s not my professional opinion—it just means this device has no suction. It runs on momentum and picks up debris with a rolling boar’s hair brush and an electrostatic charge that’s created by pushing it rigorously back and forth on the floor. And if it reminds you of something your grandma used, that’s because it is. This style of floor sweeper was invented in 1876 and it’s still around because it doesn’t suck (okay, that is my official professional opinion).
If you’re considering getting an Electrostatic Sweeper, here are three things you should know before you buy.
It’s surprisingly compact
When the sweeper showed up on my doorstep, I was shocked by the size of the box, which wasn’t much bigger than a ream of copy paper. Even assembled, it’s so much smaller than I was expecting (maybe because I haven’t seen one up close since I was small too).
The sweeper base itself is compact, about 7 by 9 inches, and the handle comes in four 10-inch pieces, which thread together easily, no instructions necessary. (It’s also super easy to disassemble, and if you have kids who like to help clean, you can temporarily take a piece or two out of the handle to make it a kid-size sweeper.)
Because the main body isn’t even three inches tall and the handle can go fully horizontal, the Electrostatic Sweeper can be used to clean under furniture and appliances that have a little clearance. The small size also makes it incredibly easy to tuck away in a convenient spot so it’s handy for quick cleanups. To save even more space, you can flip the body 90 degrees to store it vertically.
It actually works
I know I shouldn’t have been surprised that something that’s still selling after nearly 150 years on the market actually works, but I was. Maybe it’s because it’s so small and quiet. Or maybe it’s because the “electrostatic” claims sound a little too much like what I’d hear on an infomercial or from a high school friend trying to hawk essential oils. Also, it costs less than $100 and doesn’t even have any suction power. But every time I bust out my Electrostatic Sweeper, I’m delighted by how well it picks up dirt, dust, debris, and even dog hair from both hard floors and low-pile rugs and carpets (it doesn’t do as well on my shaggy vintage boucherouite rug).
It gets bigger things too. In addition to shedding nonstop, my dog likes to chew up paper towels. When I catch him mid-act, he often leaves big scraps on the floor. Those pieces can clog up my cordless stick vacuum cleaners, but the Electrostatic Sweeper gets them quickly and easily.
Of course, it’s a fairly simple device and has its drawbacks. For example, there’s no real way to tell when it’s full other than emptying it, and because it’s so small it can fill up quickly (especially if you have a shedding dog who leaves bits of paper all over the floor). So far though, I’ve just kind of sensed when it needs to be emptied and haven’t noticed a dip in performance when it gets close to full.
The Electrostatic Sweeper works best when you push it back and forth really quickly and can be a bit of a workout if you have a lot of square footage to cover. It reminds me a little of curling (that weird Olympic sport), but you get the satisfaction of a clean floor when you’re done.
And it does all of that pretty quietly—which is why you sometimes still see this type of cleaner used in restaurants with carpeted floors.
It won’t replace your vacuum cleaner
Unless you exclusively vacuum the floor, the Electrostatic Sweeper won’t replace your modern vacuum cleaner. It is a floor sweeper, after all. But if you have mostly hard floors or low-pile rugs, it’s great to have on hand for quick cleanups, even if you have messy kids and hairy pets. And if you use it as much as I do, your arms might get a little workout too.
