Swiffer Wet Jet Pet Rumor

Okay you guys - finally bought more fluid for the Swiffer. Spent an hour trying to figure out how to change batteries. Read your remarks!!

Oh yeah battery pack was in closet on floor - jeeze. Started mopping. Too bad I forgot to buy more pads.

I will have to wait until the next trip to store again....

I wish people would have paid attention in science class. It's over 90% water. Do you think that the BIG old GOVERNMENT would allow something with anti-freeze be allowed to be exposed to kids and pets?

Ha,ha,ha! Too funny! I'm sitting hear frustrated that loosening all the screws on my swiffer, did not produce a battery compartment...and low and behold...I fell victim to the same phenomenon: My closet floor sucked the battery pack right off my swiffer...it was right there just like the others! Kudos, Todd!

I used the Swiffer only once before deciding it might be too toxic to use with cats in the house. The cleaner had a wax-like consistency (thickness) and was sticky. The fragrance was overwhelming. I did not want to chance poisoning my cats, so stopped using the mop with the Swiffer Cleaner. To use the pads (two or three boxes) I bought, I used more-natural cleaners ("earth friendly"), spraying it from a spray bottle, onto the floor, and then "swiffering".

My concern was not only with the Swiffer Cleaner itself, but also with chemical reactions that might occur between it and pet shampoos, flea powders, carpet shampoo -- any other chemicals that I might use in the home. Besides combinations of chemicals becoming lethal, it might be possible that the build-up of chemicals in a pet's body would, at some point, become too much for the pet to pass off or recover from. (Swiffer's thick and sticky nature would make it more difficult to pass through the body quickly (thus doing serious harm), seems to me.)

My Swiffer is in the garage -- and the only thing stopping me from selling it at a garage sale is that I don't want to contribute to someone else going down that "wrong path" -- using it with pets or small children in the house.

I've just amazed my grandparents by giving them Todd's advice (more Swiffer owners whose battery compartment was sitting in the floor of the closet while they searched for a key to open the mystery compartment). They wanted me to extend their thanks to Todd!!

thank you!!! Found my battery compartment on the floor like everyone else!! At least I am not alone in this! 😊

Can anyone tell me if the Chlorox Readymop cleaning fluid has been linked to the pet sickness problems like Swiffer has? Just got a new puppy and she started to foam at the mouth soon after I used it. I do not want to jump to conclusions because the vet says she will be okay. Thank you.

I also was disappointed in the Clorox mop because it was so flimsy and loved the Wet Jet mop. However, when I saw what the cleaning fluid did to my floors, I was angry. Why would any company produce a product that left floors sticky and streaked? I wouldn't even mind paying exorbitant prices for the cleaner if it worked! Thank you for the suggestion to remove the cap with vice grips. I did that and replaced the fluid with my the Clorox cleaner. Now I have the best of both worlds.

Ah! I have a 6lb chihuahua that has never ever been ill....3 days ago I used a generic swiffer wet type product....my dog is acting very strange now...$308 at the emergency vet clinic, they could find nothing in his bloodwork or x-rays to explain why he is in so much pain, dehydrated, not eating.....I'm beside myself with worry and now GUILT. Will this pass, or have I killed my baby?!?!?!
Robyn in Wichita

My boyfriend has a 6 yr. old Japanese Akeda, and it has been having skin problems since they have moved(about a year). The house has wood floors, and never having wood floors prior, the swiffer was a new product to the dog. she likes to lay funny on her stomach with her legs spread, and the exposed(let furry)parts of her underside is what has been affected most.... they have spent alot of time taking her to the vets, and only getting suggestions of fleas, hotspots, allergies, so on, and nothing has takien it away.
I took the concern to a homeopath/naturealist practitioner. Describing the scaly skin that had blackened from what used to be pink. She thought first of parasites, but knew that discolouration has smething to do with the liver disfunctioning.
I just asked her what she used for cleaning the floor, and she uses swiffer wetjet. remebering the so called 'romour' e-mail. I decided to search, and as i am hearing the same thing from articles calling it a hoax... i am not convinced... to me, saying that there is not enough to harm it... is like saying one peanut is not enough to harm someone with peanut allergies. Everyone, and everythings bodies react differently to whatever we expose them to. If there are this many people able to link the introductino of the swiffer wetjet, and there pets health, especcially the re-occuring liver failure claims, there has to be some truth in it.

And in responce to someones commment about 'do you thing the govn't would allow it, if it had those things'... yes... why is there msg in our foods, why is there an allowable puss percentage in milk, why do we use aspertame as a sweetener?

Todd has made a lot of people happy - myself included. I can't believe the whole compartment was missing and I didn't even notice LOL!!!!!! Exactly where you said it would be too - you are a genius

Thanks Todd!!!!

i bought 2 swiffer wet jet's in less than a year your product is not strong enough and it cost to much to go threw every 5 to 6 months. it sucks. what will you do to enforce the handle and get my customer satisfaction. joanne lemire

Nothing, because this is the Museum of Hoaxes, which isn't affiliated with Swiffer in any way.

Hi Everyone,

Think god for this web site. If it haden't been for this site I would never have located by battery compartment in the bottom of my closet. Glad to know I'm not the only idiot out there.

Thanks

After using Swiffer Floor cleaning sheets, have discovered our 4 year old (indoor) cat, after numerous vet tests, has a problem with his liver and they diagnose "some kind of poison" was ingested. He is not eating and is wasting away despite antibiotics from the vet. Illness came on about 36-48 hours after floor cleaning, wjhich, of course, cats walk across wet floors. At first, he was just lethargic the next day, then sitting hunched but not vomiting...now although his disposition seems better and not such a howl cry, he is not eating or drinking and for a cat that wwas extremely vivacious, he is very docile and seems to be just "waiting" this out. We also have a 4 month old CHILD so I was PARTICULARLY appreciative to receive the email! I don't believe it is a "hoax" although the company would like to promote such in order to continue to sell their poisonous-should-be-banned product. Will be reviewing all cleaning products and reverting back to vinegar/water.

I am not familiar with this site, but I googled "swiffer battery replacement" and it directed me here. I thought the response from Todd was sarcastic.....if you were dumb enough to not be able to change the batteries, it must just not be there. But I kept reading all the positive responses, and finally went to the laundry room where swiffer lives....lo and behold, there it was. I really didn't think anything was missing! My dd and I had worked for days trying to figure out how to take the thing apart and replace the batteries! I had just forced the tab off, and broke it when I resorted to the internet. Fortunately I am able to tape the thing back together.
Poor design.

HAIL TO TOD!!!!!!!!!!!! Right on the closet floor like you said!!! Thank you Tod! I'm glad I'm not the only one that had this problem!!

What does the battery compartment look like?

I just purcahsed this wet mopstarter kit. With this came this almost toxic smelling cleaner. All I did was take it out of the plastic bag. Immediately it mad my throat uncomfortable. I love the idea of the wet vac. I think though the cleaner is a chemical poison. I hahe fibromyalgia. The effects of these cleaning products can flair it up. I have used natural cleaning products for years that clean very well. Why on earth would they use something that smells like chemicals. Lots of them. Did someone say that you could use vice grips to remove the cap? Can you then replace it with your own cleaner? I love the concept not that cleaner. I have never smelled something that just smells dangerous.

Someone also said that the cleaner is sticky and streaks. I have a natural hardwood floor that I have just used water on. I think I will take this back for a full refund. Does this company think that comsumers are satified with this leathal cleaning fluid that doesn't even work.

I recently used Swiffer Wet Jet on my wood floors for the first time. Within 2 days, my cat started foaming at the mouth, and got very aggresive once. She has never done this before. It seemed like she had rabbis, but she is an indoor cat and I'm positive has had no contact with another animal. The only other thing I could think of was the cleaner. I googled and found this forum. I hope no damage has been done, and she will return to health as I stop using this. Say what you want about this rumor being a hoax, but I know what I see right in front of me.

Posted by Dan in Boston on Tue Jan 01, 2008 at 05:52 AM

TO: Dan

Go to Wal-Mart and get Milk Thistle it will be with the other Vitimans. It will repair any liver damage that was done. You can read my post from back on 04 when we lost two dogs that were house dogs and we live in the country.

Thank you Tina. This all happened within the last day and a half. Since I posted my comment, this afternoon my cat experienced a very severe seizure for 30-60 seconds. Very scary. She seems much better tonight, but I did see some foamy drool after she ate a bit of cat food tonight. I'll go right out and get that that Milk Thistle.
Thanks again,
Dan

Hello again. Just a quick update on my cat. Her name is Shmitty by the way (I know, a goofy name for a female cat, but she doesn't seem to mind). I just came home from work, and she seems normal again. The can of Fancy Feast I left for her in the morning was all eaten, and I haven't discovered any signs of foamy drool yet. Although now she does just sit there and stare at my Grateful Dead collection, and I still can't find my brownies.
Tina, I did pick up some Milk Thistle and just mixed it in with her evening meal. Let's hope it does the trick. Thank you again for the tip. Will keep you posted.
Dan

I googled wondering how to change the batteries in my wetjet because I couldn't figure it out after turning the wetjet upside down and trying to open compartments I probably shouldn't have. When I read that I should go look on the floor where the wetjet lives, I did and guess what? There was the battery compartment! Thanks Todd! YOU'RE A GENIUS! I'm back in business now!

My dog, too, is experiencing high liver enzymes for the 2nd time in a year. We've spent over $1000 to try and keep him alive. He's lost 13 pounds (of 55). I am giving my Wet Jet to someone without pets. If there is a lawsuit, I'd like to know. Say what you will, but my dog is like one of my children and we watch him and feed him right, and he's in the house and only out for short times in our fenced yard, so I don't know what else it could be.

Hello. Another update on my cat, Shmitty.
Since my last post, she has had 4 very violent seizures/convulsions. The Milk Thistle didn't have time to do any good, and I could only mix less than a third of a capsule into her food at a time, or she wouldn't eat it.
I took her to the vet, who seems to think the Swiffer and her condition are unrelated. Yeah, and the same for everyone else's pet who just happened to get sick and some even die right after their owners used this product.
The vet gave me a prescription of phenebarbatol. I'm supposed to give it to her orally from the dispenser, but that's nearly impossible, so I mix it in with her food. Since starting it, she went 3-4 days with no problems, but then on 3 occasions, she began to lift her head, and open and shut her mouth, like she was gagging, then she would again get the foamy drool, but this time, it would not progress into the seizure/convulsion. So I upped the dose another half ml, and she has had no episodes for 3 days now.
I'll report back if anything changes, or just to update once in a while if all goes well.
Dan

Dan, I wish you all the luck that every thing turns out good... I know how it is to be told it was not Swiffer. But we lost two dogs with no other reason bit did save one.

Marie, try to give Milk Thistle to your dog..It helped the third dog. We saved her

How much milk thistle would you give him?

Hi,

So far, my pets have not been affected at all, from the Swifer Wet Jet. They are 10 and 11 yrs old. Shitzu, and Lasa Apsa. However, I myself, have been sick from really bad Chest congestion, that anitbotics, and other pills, have not been helping. Also having some hard times breathing. It has been here, since right after I got the Swifer Wet Jet, around xmas 07. This could very well be my problem, I will be taking off the lid, and seeing if I can refill it with my own solution, and see if I improve.
thanks. Please email me, if you have any suggestions for me.

I cannot find a way to replace the batteries in my Swiffer Wetjet. I need instructions please. Thanks

Todd! thanks for the word on the batteries for the swiffer. It was right on the floor where you said it would be. You are a genius :?

Peggy, did Todd's swiffer battery advise help you? It was so awesome how it affected so many people over the past few years. Wild stuff. At least it works again. richard

yes you idiot,it helped a lot of people fix there wetjets. now we can all continue to use this deadly product, and keep killing our pets never mind those who have babies crawling around the house.

Thank you for posting this - we couldn't replace the batteries (pushing all sorts of buttons).
We thought you all were crazy to think the battery pack could have fallen off.
Turns out - it was on the floor where we keep the mops.
Thanks!

For those of you looking for an alternative, METHOD makes a similar product to Wet Jet, only it has a separate bottle of fluid that you just squirt on the floor (so usign thier products is optional from the start and the cleaning pads are machine washable. Since all of METHOD's products are biodegradable & "green", I doubt (or never heard of) there is any danger to pets. You can purchase this item on METHOD's website or from Target. I wish I had bought one of these, but I have a swifter wet jet that I refill with Vinegar & Water and I crochet machine washable pads for my unit.

For all of you who are cutting holes in the bottom of the containers just take the bottle of cleaner and use a pair of pliers to take the top off and refill it just like normal put the top back and and you have a new bottle of cleaner. I've been doing it for months. Works well.

Thank you Todd,
Finally fixed the swifter. Battery compartment was right where you said it would be. Never even thought to chech there. Now I can replace all the screws.

HAH! Todd really does deserve a job at Proctor and Gabmble. My battery compartment fell out too and voila there it was in my trunk (I recently moved into a new place and shoved it back there for safe keeping).

My derm cae true wiffer wet jet is the future ceep up the good work all of you thank you very mush you made my derm com true

Try folding over an old face cloth and sewing around the outside to use as a replacement for the swiffer pad. Then you can simply throw them in the washer. Also, I use a cap full of Pine-sol in the water as a replacement for thee swiffer fluid. Works great.

Todd ... two years later, you are the man. Many thanks. You will live forever on this website.

-- NOTE ___ YOU CAN SHOVE A SMALL STURDY FUNNEL THRU THE LITTLE HOLE AT THE RUBBER TOP OF THE BOTTLE AND PUT IN SOME OTHER CLEANING FLUID. LESS TOXIC IF POSSIBLE... THE HOLE RECLOSES NICELY AND WONT SPILL.

:lol: OH MY GOSH we are rolling on the floor laughing. We have ben trying to figure out the battery changing process for days.......at one point had 3 male adults challenging one another. Just sure that one could out smart the other in such a simple task!! While everyone was getting overly frustrated & using outdoor voices I went to the website. Immediatley checked where we store it and BAM...sure enough...LOL-LOL-LOL there it was! We all laughed histerically after I told them about all the stories here. THAT WAS JUST WAY TO FUNNY!!!!

Propylene glycol is in EVERYTHING. Your deoderant, your hand cream (which your dog then licks off) Yes, swiffer is a molecule or two away, although my dog, cats, rat, children and husband are all fine. You could literally eat off my floors (unfortunately that is due to the amount of food my kids spill) and so I know the dog has had exposure (before I got all freaked out about the chemicals, that is) So, if you are concerned about antifreeze, you are going to really need to overhaul your whole house. I'm swiching to another more natural, environmentally responsible cleaner or a homemade recipe. Thank you all for the tips on how to refil the container because I do love the way the wet jet works.

Hello all
I was also irritated with the fact you can only buy the swiffer cleaner for the wet jet. BS in my opinion!!! I started cutting a small hole in the top, then pouring a little diluted bleach (&water;) in the top. We have tile floors in the downstairs of our house, and with a dog and a 3 year old the floors can get pretty dirty! I always put a old rag, or cotton ball where the hole is so the water doesn't slosh out of the top all over the floor.
Its much better than paying almost $8 for the refills!!!
: D

OMG you have to be a real friggin IDOT to not know how to change batteries in a swiffer.
What is this world coming to

I hope this will ease some of your minds. I have 3 dogs, 2 doxies and an Australian Cattledog. They have the run of the house inside and out through the doggie door. I have used Swiffer since it came out, I have one of the older mops. My doxies are 13 and the Cattledog is 6. They have walked, slept, eaten treats and licked the tile cleaned after use with Swiffer. Each year when they all go to the vet for their annual physical, their labs are perfectly normal and they have never been sick. For those of you that feel Swiffer has harmed your pet I am truly sorry, I would have as many dogs as was legal in the city if I could afford to feed and vaccinate them. They are just like my children now that mine are grown and have moved out. I am waiting with excitement for the birth of my first granddaughter in Feb. She will be my first grandchild period. Anyway back to the Swiffer, if you don't care for it, pierce the bottle,dump out the Swiffer and add a cleaner you like. It should put your mind at ease with your pets. Have a good one!!

Hi, I was trying to figure out the batteries on the swiffer wet jet for an hour and was ready to throw the damn thing out the window! After reading your posts I looked under the stairs and there it was the batteries on the floor. I was reading the posts and thought everyone on here was nuts. Well I'm nuts for not listening. Thanks for the help. Mark

and add another big thank you to todd!