suburban utopia {guest blog post}

green cleaning :: homemade swiffer cleaning solution

I’m not hardcore into green living, but I do try to keep our household chemical use (and spending!) to a minimum. Purchasing disposable replacement pads for my Swiffer WetJet – not to mention bottle after bottle of “Swiffer Juice” – became sorely irksome after the first 6 months. We have wood laminate (Pergo), linoleum,  and tile in our house, so I loved Swiffer’s quick cleaning power…what I didn’t love was all the money I was shelling out, even buying in bulk.

These fab reuseable cloth pads on Etsy were just the inspiration I needed to make a switch! Priced at $6 each, I bought two. They require no special laundering – just toss them in the machine and wash on warm/cold and then tumble or lay flat to dry. I refilled my empty bottle of Swiffer cleaner with a simple homemade cleaning solution I made using items I already had in my cabinets.

Here’s the cost breakdown for one year:

Using washable fabric Swiffer pads and easy homemade cleaner cuts my yearly expense by more than half. You do have to push a bit harder using the fabric pads, but, hey! It burns more calories! I definitely feel like my floors are cleaner – partially because the cloth just works better…and partially because I’m willing to mop more often, instead of trying to conserve my disposable Swiffer pads!

After pouring the vinegar and dish soap (you can also use baby shampoo) into the bottle, fill it to the top with warm water. Give it a quick shake and you’re ready to go! As for a container, mix this solution in an old squirt bottle & spray it on your floors, or simply refill you Swiffer solution bottle. It won’t pop off on its own, but you can remove the lid by boiling a pot of water and then submerging the lid for about 60 seconds. I used an oven mitt to grip & twist the lid and it came right off! SO EASY!

You can find Erin from SuburbanUtopia on Twitter as well as on her blog!