Make-Shift Swiffer

How many of you bought a Swiffer and fell into the endless pit of having to buy the refills specifically designed for the Swiffer in order to keep using it? I sure did! Oh, and you can't forget the pads that attach onto them. I sure fell into these money pits, but never fear. There's a solution!

Here's what one blog author did:

"I hacked my bottle to be endlessly refillable. I used the same method, but went with whatever I had around the house:

1. heat up a small part of the bottom of the empty Swiffer bottle with fire (I used matches, but a lighter would be less dangerous)

2. puncture a bunch of holes in the heated plastic with an awl- cut the top of any reclosable container that has a cap (I used a milk jug top)

3. glue this container top to the bottom of the Swiffer bottle so that the cap sits above the holes you made with your awl (I used scads of hot glue)

4. pop off the cap, fill it up with the cleanser of your choice (I go with half-water half-vinegar), and clean to your heart's delight

*of course, now I see that you could also follow these instructions to work with the faux Swiffer cap itself.

Here are a few homemade Swiffer covers out of fleece. It works infinitely better than the plastic pads you have to buy( so they say). Throw it in the wash when you're done. These can be as cute or as ugly as you want them to be.

Swiffer Cover #1: Cut one long piece of fleece 11" x 5" and then the two top pieces are 5" x 4.5" - just lay them together and sew. The top piece stretches so it can be slipped on. Couldn't be simpler - unless someone else did it for you!

Swiffer Cover #2: Use flannel. Simply measure the holes in your swiffer and patch together.