Don't Throw Out Old Towels, Try This Money-Saving Mop Hack Instead

If you love your Swiffer mop with its disposable mop pads but are tired of spending time and money replacing the pads each time you use one, or you don't like the scent of the pads' cleaning solution (maybe you worry about what chemicals are in Swiffer pads), put your old towels to use rather than having them sitting around futilely waiting for you to have a dusting marathon. This is a great way to start replacing disposable products with reusable home essentials.

Consider using multiple towels — one for wet mopping, the other for dry mopping. You can even make your own cleaning solution using simple household ingredients. While it's not suitable for hardwood floors, a diluted solution of vinegar can clean, disinfect, and even polish your floors. When you're done with your mopping, rather than sending your dirty old cloths to accumulate in a landfill, just shake out any excess dirt or dust and throw the towel into your next load of laundry.

Before trying any of these methods, measure your Swiffer mop head. The standard model is 10 inches by 4.8 inches. Your cloth should thus be about 8 inches wide and 10 inches long, to wrap around the mop head. If you reach the point where the triangular lips on the verso of the mop head don't have the same ability to grip your cloth, attach the same size cloth with Velcro, rubber bands, hair bands, or other fasteners made of soft material that won't scratch your floor.

If you're annoyed with fasteners slipping off or getting tangled up with dust and hair, and you are handy with a sewing machine, cut your old cloth an inch longer than the wider dimension and twice the shorter dimension of your mop head –11 inches by 9.6 inches if you're using the standard model. Lay the towel on a flat surface and place the mop head in the middle of it. Fold the towel lengthwise over the mop head so that the top of the mop head is covered. Pin the 4.8-inch sides of the towel, then sew the sides closed. The mop head can now fit snugly into your mop cloth without sliding around or coming off. There are many unexpected ways you can use your DIY Swiffer, so make as many different mop pads as you have uses so that you always have a clean mop pad on hand.