Four DIY Cloths to Use with Swiffer Mops: Three That Are No-Sew

With Christmas decorations put away, it's time to give the hard floors a thorough cleaning and get those dust bunnies out the corners.

I was gifted a Swiffer mop by a visiting family member about 20 years ago. At first, I bought the refill pads/cloths. Then I realized I could make my own. Here are 4 cloths that will work on the Swiffer Dry + Wet Floor Mop tool.

Wet Mop Pads

1  This was my first DIY mop head replacement. I still use this today for heavy-duty cleaning of my kitchen floor. It's thick and absorbs a lot of liquid, making it ideal for large floor areas.

I took an old hand towel, folded it over lengthwise, then folded that into almost thirds, leaving enough of an overlap to stay on my Swiffer, but not too much so that it would be difficult to get the Swiffer head inside. I sewed the ends to hold these folds into place.  

To use, I spray a diluted solution of Mrs. Meyer's all-purpose cleaner (50% water, 50% cleaner) all over a section of flooring, then use the mop to spread and clean that section of floor.

2  Here's an easier mop "pad" which is simply a standard washcloth wrapped around the Swiffer head and poked into the tabs/clips. 

I use this for a pad when I'm cleaning a small area, like a bathroom, or the other (blue) head is in the laundry. I use it in the same way, just spray the floor with 50/50 solution of Mrs. Meyers and mop up. 

3  On a couple of occasions, I needed to clean up a spot for which I really didn't want to use fabric/reusable cloths, due to germs (someone was very sick with norovirus and lost it on the kitchen floor) one time, and tiny glass particles on another. I used disposable pads made from ordinary paper towels. 

With a roll of Target brand Brawny-type paper towels (thick), I folded over 2 large squares of paper toweling, then wrapped them around the mop head and poked portions into the tabs. I sprayed the paper-covered mop head with cleaner and used the mop for a final cleaning of the floor. Paper toweling used as a Swiffer mop pad is an option for someone who just wants to save money over buying wet mop pads.

Dust Mop Pads for Dry Use

4  I use polyester fleece cloths, cut to the size of standard washcloths, for dust-mopping wood floors or when I don't want to wet-mop other hard floors. 

My cloth, here, is a scrap leftover from making hats for my daughters and a niece about 17 to 18 years ago. Any scrap of polyester or acrylic fleece will work to attract and hold dust and dirt. Notice, there is no sewing involved. Just cut to size, wrap around the Swiffer head, and poke the cloth into the tabs/clips.

With both the wet and dry fabric cloths/pads, after each use I throw them into the bag of dirty rags for laundry later in the week. So very easy and saves serious money.