I love my Swiffer. I really do. It’s great for light, day to day floor cleaning. And now that I’m pregnant again, I appreciate my Swiffer even more than I did five months ago, since I’ve found it’s easier on my back.
But do you know what I really dislike about the Swiffer? The price of those sweeping cloths. Even with coupons or buying the generic brand, the prices are outrageous, at least for our family’s budget. (Or maybe I just use my Swiffer a lot, so we burn through those cloths faster than the average household?)
Anyhow, when we ran out of the refill cloths this week, instead of buying more, I decided to look for a less expensive alternative. And I was able to come up with two money saving ideas that really work- for pennies on the dollar!
1. Dry Cloth alternative- Instead of buying the refill dry cloths, I just hooked a high quality paper towel into the Swiffer. (I was able to score some Bounty paper towels on the cheap a couple of week ago, and those work great!) Then, to help the towel pick up dirt rather than just scoot it around, I lightly sprayed it with some dusting spray. Endust worked like a charm. (If your KMart is doubling coupons this week, you can get Endust for free. I was able to pick up three on Sunday!) Not only did the paper towel/spray combination pick up dirt, it also left my floor with a nice shine.
2. Wet Cloth Alternative- Instead of shelling out the bucks for the wet cloth refills, I found that you can just dampen a wash cloth or old dish towel and snap it into the Swiffer. It works just as well as the refill cloths. If you want to add the shine to your floors that I mentioned above, spritz a little dusting spray on as well.
Have you found a cheaper way to use your Swiffer? Please share!
{ 9 comments }
I'm a fan of the reusable cloth alternative for the Swiffer. I trimmed down some cheap Gerber prefold cloth diapers to a size that fits on the Swiffer. They work great because they are thin on the outside to fit in the slots, but thick and absorbent for good cleaning in the middle. I spray floor cleaner, or vinegar & water, on the floor before I go over it with the cloth. It saves $$ because you just wash them and reuse them, and it's much better for the earth than throwing away a paper cloth (or multiples in my case) :) every time you mop your floor!
This is a great idea. I was just about to buy the Harris Teeter version, but even they are expensive. I will use your way from now on!
And, swiffering is much easier on the pregnant ladies – being pregnant myself, my floor has not REALLY been washed in several months. And, I am OK with that!
I have designed both knitting and crochet patterns for a washable swiffer cover. nothing to throw away, cheap to make, and easy to use!
Just wanted to point out that the Endust can make the floor very, very slippery. Not fun if you’ve got little ones running around.
Ugh, my Swiffer doesn’t have clips, just Velcro! I’m going to try and rig up something re-useable, anyway.
I thought of this a few months ago too, and I have purchased some reusable microfiber cloths at Target to use as dry cloths. Basically they are just the same as the Swiffer cloths except washable! I have wet them with just plain water for my wood floor too.
the reusable cloths r Great ideas! hadnt thought of that one. we recently moved back to the states and my sis has gotten me addicted to the ‘Dollar Tree’ lol everythings a $1!! ne way they have $1 generic dry swiffers and some stores carry the wet ones as well, but i havent been able to find them in the Hampton area :( maybe reuseable will benefit more!
Maybe my swiffer is the older one with the four corner things you push the cloth down in….but I use two baby wipes (overlaped) to clean the kitchen floor.
I also despise purchasing costly refills for my Swiffer. A few months ago, I purchased a few microfiber cloths from Dollar Tree. They pick up dust and dirt like a charm and fit my Swiffer well.
.-= Caitlin Langevin´s last blog ..SC Johnson Moneymaker =-.
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