8 DIY Swiffer Pads You Can Make In A Pinch

When your pup tracks in muddy paw prints, or you spill spaghetti sauce, a Swiffer mop might be what you reach for to get a clean, sparkling floor again. Unfortunately, sometimes you're down to your last pad and there's still plenty more mess to clean up, or you completely run out and have forgotten to buy more. What do you do when you need a Swiffer pad in a pinch? You can make your own DIY version using common household materials from your closet, bathroom, or kitchen. Even with little to no sewing skills, it's possible to fashion a substitute pad for cleaning your floor. Some of these DIY Swiffer pad options include old wash cloths, fuzzy socks, and cloth diapers.

Available in both wet and dry versions, Swiffer mops have helped us keep our floors clean for over 20 years. The pads feature a textured polyester fabric surface for thorough scrubbing to get your floor clean. Because the brand's mop uses a refill system without complicated technology, it's easy to replace store-bought pads with a DIY mop pad from everyday materials. The mop features a Velcro system, so various fabrics will stick to it for easy replacement. The only requirement is choosing fabrics that are soft, non-abrasive, and suitable for your flooring type. Some of these are even reusable, so after you're done cleaning up the mess, you can toss them into the washing machine, then store them until you need to pull them out for backup duty once again.

If you have the sock that you lost the mate to, make it into a DIY Swiffer pad with a genius way to repurpose socks from around the house. Stretch the sock's material over the mop head, then you can use it as you would a regular pad. If you want it wet, mix a solution of equal parts water and vinegar with a drop of essential oil (if desired) and a drop of rubbing alcohol. Soak the sock in the mixture briefly, wring it out, then mop.

The small, absorbent nature of washcloths and towels can make them good DIY mop pads. You can press the washcloth's ends into the holes on top of the mop head, or if that doesn't work, try securing it with rubber bands. Another option is to use safety pins to pin the cloth around the mop head. Dampen with your cleaner, then mop away the mess. Like using washcloths, a towel can be a good way to make replacement Swiffer pads, except one towel can equal at least two pads, if not more.

While it might not be as absorbent as a washcloth, a microfiber cloth works well with the grippy, hook-and-loop surface of the Swiffer mop. Not only are microfiber cloths non-abrasive, but they also pull up hair and other stray debris well if used as a dry mop. Spray a little cleaner on the floor, then mop to use it as a "wet" mop for sticky spills.

When it comes to ways to reuse clothing around the house, this hack fits cleaning to a T. Try this trick as a way to repurpose old clothing. Maybe you have a free promotional t-shirt you got at an event or a holey ex-favorite cluttering your drawers. If you aren't using the shirt, you can cut it into a large square, then pin it into a serviceable mop pad. Turn it inside out if it has lettering, so the print doesn't scrape your floor and give you something else to clean. 

You can save money on Swiffer wet pads with this clever diaper hack. If your kids are potty-trained or you've just got a surplus of clean cloth diapers, pop one on your Swiffer as a floor-cleaning cloth. As cloth diapers are baby-soft, they can help you clean other items besides the floor, such as mirrors, baseboards, or other areas, by spraying a bit of cleaner to wash away the grime. You can do the same with a clean disposable diaper, using tape to secure it.

You might not have the other items on this list, but you likely have a paper towel handy. Among simple paper towel hacks you can try around the house is using them as a replacement mop pad for a Swiffer, pressing them into the grippers on the mop. This hack only works with the regular Swiffer, and not the WetJet. If you have a very sensitive floor, be careful with this paper towel and stick to a soft cloth. Spray lightly with your favorite cleaner, or add a cleaning wipe on top.

Who says that cleaning and disinfectant wipes can't be a mop pad? If you have a Swiffer mop and run out of pads, just use two cleaning wipes in its place. You can double-layer them and still get the same clean as a wet mop. Only if your flooring type can handle a wet mop, though, since these are pre-soaked in a cleaning solution. 

When blankets are taking over your home, or you're just over the print, cut a fleece blanket into squares or strips, then attach to your Swiffer mop. The soft fabric will glide over your floors without scratching them, and you can use it to grab dust pretty well. As a bonus, fleece binds extremely well to pet hair, so put that to work on your floors to wipe away any trace of Fido shedding. You could also try this on a fleece scarf or other accessory.