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 swifter replacement replacement
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debtea2
True Blue Farmgirl

1853 Posts

deborah
nutley nj
USA
1853 Posts

Posted - Jan 25 2012 :  4:27:59 PM  Show Profile
hi
i like using my swifter but not buying the replacement cloths
so i cut up old tshirts for dust
old towel for floor washing
old flannel shirt or sheet doubled for waxing floors
I just cut ot size and when i'm done toss them in the wash
and they are ready for another day...saved alot of $$$..
can't not love that..I also do not use their toxic cleaning fluid....
i make my own natural cleaners
blessins deborah

inch by inch we find our way
jersey farmgirl
#1330

Edited by - debtea2 on Jan 25 2012 4:28:28 PM

RosesAreRed
True Blue Farmgirl

62 Posts

Laurie
Lehigh Acres Fl
USA
62 Posts

Posted - Jan 25 2012 :  5:10:57 PM  Show Profile
I also make my own cloths for the Swiffer. The microfiber cloths sold in the dollar store or auto dept of Walmart are AMAZING at picking up dog hair.. and I have A LOT of dog hair. I buy big packs of cheap washcloths at Walmart in the household aisle. Less than $5 for 20? and I use those on the Swiffer for mopping. I also use those in place of paper towels...and dish drying...
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Simple Living
True Blue Farmgirl

1402 Posts

Joan
Staten Island NY
USA
1402 Posts

Posted - Jan 26 2012 :  04:28:24 AM  Show Profile
I also found mixing vinegar and water in a squeeze bottle works well on tile floors also. I can't seem to find a natural cleaning solution for wood floors. Any suggestions?

Happy Trails
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farmmilkmama
True Blue Farmgirl

2027 Posts

Amy
Central MN
USA
2027 Posts

Posted - Jan 26 2012 :  05:28:59 AM  Show Profile
Great idea for the swiffer. We had never used one before we moved to the farm, but with the new floors, we've gotten to like it! Great idea for saving money, gals! :)

--* FarmMilkMama *--

Farmgirl Sister #1086

Be yourself.
Everyone else is already taken.
-Oscar Wilde

www.farmfoodmama.blogspot.com

www.thehmmmschoolingmom.blogspot.com
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edlund33
True Blue Farmgirl

1511 Posts

Marilyn
Renton WA
USA
1511 Posts

Posted - Jan 26 2012 :  07:17:42 AM  Show Profile
Good for you Deborah! Like Laurie, I also use microfiber cloths on my swiffer. They work much better for picking up dust and feathers on my laminate floors than cotton rags which I started out with. And they do work great in place of paper towels.

My favorite tool for damp mopping large floor areas is a Bona floor mop. It looks like an oversized swiffer. It came with a microfiber loop cloth that can be removed and washed. This mop cloth is the easiest method I have ever seen for cleaning wood parquet, laminate and linoleum floors. It is lightweight and has a nice sturdy adjustable handle so I can put plenty of elbow grease into tough grime without breaking the handle. It fits under furniture and in fairly tight spaces and doesn't leave streaks, crumbs or fuzz like sponge and string mops do. I mop with a mild ammonia and water solution. Vinegar and water also works great but my BF doesn't like the smell.

Joan, my parents have Swedish finish hardwood floors in their house, and they were told by the installer years ago to use a mild vinegar and water solution on a slightly damp mop to clean the floors. It dissolves dirt and greasy deposits and dries without streaks leaving their floors really sparkling.



Cheers! ~ Marilyn

Farm Girl No. 1100

http://blueskyanddaisies.blogspot.com

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Simple Living
True Blue Farmgirl

1402 Posts

Joan
Staten Island NY
USA
1402 Posts

Posted - Jan 26 2012 :  08:08:07 AM  Show Profile
Hi Marilyn: that is so funny cause I use the vinegar solution for many cleaning purposes but didn't know it was used on wood floor. Thanks your the info.

Happy Trails
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl

13055 Posts


Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts

Posted - Jan 26 2012 :  3:41:36 PM  Show Profile
What a great idea. Those swiffer sheets get expensive.
I've always used vinegar and water to clean my floors. It always worked for me.
Marly

"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl

1825 Posts


Virginia
USA
1825 Posts

Posted - Jan 27 2012 :  2:23:44 PM  Show Profile
We had this topic a long time ago. Back then, I mentioned my method of using cheapie white wash cloths that I get in big packages for a couple of bucks. Fold one to make a pad, cover it with another to pop into the little Swiffer holes and off you go. Rewashable, reusable for years.

Since then, I've switched to using a steam mop but if I ever had to clean without electricity, I've still got my Swiffer! The wash cloths are good for everything. Recently, I started using dampened ones with a little lemon oil for disting. They work great.
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl

13055 Posts


Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts

Posted - Jan 27 2012 :  3:17:52 PM  Show Profile
The bottom of my Swiffer, the spongy rectangle part, split in three parts this morning!!!! It was rather old. I hate having to buy another one, but I do use the thing a lot. I tried to tape it together, to no avail.
Marly

"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross
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debtea2
True Blue Farmgirl

1853 Posts

deborah
nutley nj
USA
1853 Posts

Posted - Feb 06 2012 :  5:55:34 PM  Show Profile
your all so welcome
i love sharing ideas

inch by inch we find our way
jersey farmgirl
#1330
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tncountrygirl
Farmgirl at Heart

5 Posts

Kristin
Rogersville Tennessee
USA
5 Posts

Posted - Feb 07 2012 :  5:47:26 PM  Show Profile
I love all your ideas and goodness I had never thought of using a wash cloth! I found some great free crochet patterns for replacement pads on Ravelry.com and I have made several of them. They are great because you can just slip them off and throw them in the wash. I even recycled some old t-shirts by cutting them into thin strips and crocheting them together to make covers for my swiffer mop and duster. Way cheaper and MUCH less waste:)
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Simple Living
True Blue Farmgirl

1402 Posts

Joan
Staten Island NY
USA
1402 Posts

Posted - Feb 08 2012 :  06:28:28 AM  Show Profile
Morning, girls forget the swiffer anything lol. I found a great green product that replaces the swiffer. It's made by Liebman and I started a new topic for it with pictures. I just love it. Check it out

Joan

Happy Trails
Farmgirl 3842
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl

400 Posts

Karen
Fostoria Ohio
USA
400 Posts

Posted - Feb 08 2012 :  06:54:03 AM  Show Profile
Ya know, I should've thought about doing this! Duh! I had to return some of the wet cloths just yesterday to the store as they weren't the right size, and I hate to pay the cost of something that's just going to be used once and thrown away. So re purposing some old towels I have will be just the ticket. I think I'll serge the edges first so they don't ravel and then I'll be set!

Farmgirl Sister #2984

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot

http://farmchicatheart.blogspot.com/

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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl

6066 Posts

Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts

Posted - Feb 10 2012 :  4:15:35 PM  Show Profile
I also use old dishcloths for my swiffer handle. I slightly dampen it, and it does great on my hardwood floors. And the cloths are reusable.

Farmgirl Sister # 31

www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com

Psalm 51: 10-13
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debtea2
True Blue Farmgirl

1853 Posts

deborah
nutley nj
USA
1853 Posts

Posted - Feb 11 2012 :  4:52:20 PM  Show Profile
joan i heard about that and it sounds great


inch by inch we find our way
jersey farmgirl
#1330
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garyw965
True Blue Farmgirl

51 Posts

Gary
Hemet CA
USA
51 Posts

Posted - Feb 22 2012 :  09:14:22 AM  Show Profile
Simple Living, I saw that Liebman on the forum looks great. It even holds the liquid you want to put in. No more chemicals you don't want. Thanks for sharing.
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