Homemade Swiffer Cloths...

Quote for the Day:

"A penny spar'd is twice got"

~George Herbert's Outlandish Proverbs, c. 1633

We have a lot of hardwood floors in our house and the Swiffer sweeper makes cleaning them so easy and fast.  However, I don't like the disposable cloths the sweeper uses.  They work great, that's not the problem.  This issue I have with them is 1)  that they are "disposable", thus filling the landfills, and  2)  I cringe at paying for something that is MADE specifically to be thrown away!  How detrimental to our earth and to our bank accounts!  :(

Several years ago, we gave up paper napkins and went to using cloth napkins for the same reason.  We bought a bunch of cloth napkins at Goodwill for a pittance (they don't all match, but they are all the same color), and use them instead of paper ones.  When they are dirty, we toss them in the wash with the rest of the towels and washcloths.  No muss, no fuss!

I am always looking at other ways to not only be frugal, but also to do what I can to "reduce, reuse, recycle" when I can.  That's why the disposable aspect of the Swiffer cloths has bothered me.  I've been looking to see what I can do about the Swiffer cloths before the current box I have runs out so I don't have to buy more.

I've seen some "pins" on pinterest.com about what people use on their Swiffer sweepers instead of the disposables.  A lot of people post about using either fleece or flannel.  I find that flannel "sheds" a lot, so I thought I'd check out fleece.  

A few days ago, I found a brand new fleece throw blanket at Goodwill for $3.00.  Since fleece doesn't ravel, it is very easy to use without any sewing.   Also, fleece is polyester which tends to have a lot of "static", which is one of the principles behind the whole Swiffer thing.  Both Erin & Trinity have Swiffer sweepers, too, so I figured there would be enough fabric in the throw to make some sweeper covers for all of us.

Erin & I measured the sweeper disposables and then set about "making" our own.  So who's up for another "tutorial"???

Here's the throw.  I think the argyle design is pretty!  Win-win! 

We used the rotary cutter and ruler to cut it into blocks the size of the Swiffer cloths...8.5" X 11".  

Here's Vanna White...er, I mean, Erin...modeling the "new" cover attached to the sweeper...

Fits like a glove!  :)

Okay...now to see if it cleans, after all, that is the bottom line, right???  I "let" Erin run it over the hardwood floor in our bedroom.

Holy crap!!  Don't judge me, you don't know me.  I'm almost too ashamed to show you that.  :(   But I figured that you'd want to see if the fleece really worked or not.  It does!

We ended up getting a total of 24 covers from the throw...that's 8 for each of us:  Trinity, Erin, and me!  After use, just shake them out in the trash and then throw in the wash.  :)    How's that for frugal???  YAY!

Edited to add:  We did try it as a "wet" mop and it didn't work because the fleece won't wick up the water.  :(  But as a dry mop, it is superb!  :) Loretta