DIY Swiffer Refills

Welcome to Day 2 of my new clean 2012 self.  If you missed my first post on cleaning my kitchen, you can check it out HERE.

I love my swiffer.  Granted I don't use it as much as I should, but that's a given.  I don't clean as much as I should.  The absolute worst though is when I am in a cleaning mood...those are real and very important when it comes to cleaning...and I go to the closet and dust off the old swiffer wet jet.  Lo and behold there is no swiffer juice!  Ugh!  Oh well.  Guess it won't get clean I tell myself and go back to watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Well now, I have given myself no excuses after a long while of the swiffer being empty.  No I didn't want to pay full retail price for the refill.  Not important enough to me.  Like I said, cleaning isn't my most favorite skill.

I made my own swiffer solution and refilled the bottle myself.  

Duh, your 90's trained brain says, that must be so easy.  Au contraire mon frere.  Swiffer is a smart company.  They don't want us refilling our own bottles.  Too easy.  Too much money lost.  So there is a trick to removing the lid on your swiffer bottle.

Heat a mug of hot water in the microwave for two minute.  Turn the empty solution bottle upside down in the hot water for one minute.  

Then refill the bottle with the floor solution of your choice.  Ammonia and water.  Pine sol and water.  Whatever is to you liking.  I chose to fill the bottle with half water and half vinegar.  I added half a fresh squeezed lemon for a little extra yummy citrus smell.  

I'm not gonna lie.  Vinegar is a strong smell.  However, clean is clean.  I'll deal when it cost me like 25 cents max to refill the bottle.  Like I said in my first cleaning post, you are welcome to drop some dollars on the lavender essential oils.  I'm just too cheap to care.

Once refilled, simply return the cap to the bottle.  Pop the bottle back into the swiffer main frame.  A little tip I learned during research said it would be a good idea to pop the bottle back off when you are done cleaning and return it to an upright position to avoid excessive evaporation.  So I did.  You are welcome to test the theory and leave it on the frame afterwards.

Hope some of you will try it out.  It took all of 4 minutes to do.  Faster than running to your favorite grocer for a legit refill.