Another popular green alternative is the steam mop, which heats water in its chamber to release steam through a cloth or pad. Apart from loosening up dirt and grime, the high temperatures also aid in killing germs and bacteria from surfaces without having to depend on any harmful chemicals. Between their zero waste storefront in LA and zero waste online store, they’re doing a good job of it.

The Multi-Use Home Cleaner is similar, but in powdered form. It can either be used as a zero waste laundry detergent, dish soap, or mixed with water to clean surfaces. Having said that, there is still a lot of work to be done when it comes to truly transparent (complex) supply chains and reassurances against greenwashing. If you already own a Swiffer, it makes sense to simply swap out the disposable pads for zero waste swiffer pads that can be machine washed. After all, one of the biggest tenants of zero waste living is to reuse what you already have until it’s no longer functional. You can recycle used mop and duster pads through Swiffer’s free recycling program through TerraCycle, but few people utilize it or even know it exists. If it’s not natural, it should be durable. We made exceptions for lifelong reusable components like handles made of metal.

This brand has committed to building more sustainable tools and appliances. The goal is to become carbon positive and achieve zero waste to landfill (ZWTL) by 2030. Do you think that you will be making these? I’d love to hear your comments. Tell me what you think below, or find me on social media.

I am always looking for new ways to upcycle my old cloth. And one of the most useful cloths in my waste pile is old towelling. Every so often I have a clearout of my bathroom cabinet. There is always one towel that looks a bit threadbare and grey, and it goes in a (large) pile in the corner of my sewing room to be reused. And making a reusable mop cover is a perfect way of reusing this old towel. You could also use microfiber or terry cloth if you prefer to buy new cloth to make these. You Will Need I like to use my mops with a spray bottle of water, white vinegar and a citrus essential oil. See my tutorial on how to make a natural floor cleaner. This keeps my laminate and vinyl flooring looking clean and dust free! These make excellent all purpose cleaning cloths, but they do grip into the plastic grippers of the swiffer or flash power mop.Finally, once the mop cover has become too worn or dirty to use, cut up and compost everything but the velcro strips! This Bissell Steam Mopis the only thing that works at getting the dirt out of the porous stone and grout. It also destroys 99.9% of bacteria and germs without the need for floor cleaner. Cut the “H” shape out of both your old towel and your cotton fabric.Pin the fabrics right side together, and mark on one of the sides about an 7-8 cm section, which will be left open. Complete your zero waste mopping transformation by pairing your eco friendly Swiffer alternative with some green accessories. Most of the tools listed below are long-lasting, one-time investments that fit right into a low waste lifestyle. Spray Bottles

This means that you end up with a “H” shaped template, which is the pattern for your mop head cover. Considering single-use Swiffer pads aren’t biodegradable, compostable, or widely recyclable, yes. Instead, they’re made of petroleum layers (polyester and sometimes polyurethane foam) that have no good and end-of-life option. These mops are very similar to the Swiffer, but instead of single-use refill pads, they clean with a washable microfiber pad head. Pair yours with a DIY or store-bought eco friendly spray and you’re golden. Wrap these around your Swiffer, spray them with some homemade cleaning solution of hot water and vinegar, and you’ll have yourself a zero waste mop. You could also put your DIY solution into the Swiffer Wetjet compartment for speedier cleaning. Microfiber Mops

Instead, we choose zero waste cleaning products to help mop away some of the mess caused by our consumption. Juniperseed’s reusable mop head pads made from cotton and chenille fabric are compatible with Wet Jet Swiffers. In fact, they’re even better at absorbing moisture than the single-use ones. This head is compatible with an included microfiber washable pad, rendering it usable as an eco-friendly wet mop or a dry duster.