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Thursday, March 5, 2009

Better Swiffing with Trouble on Thrifty Thursday & a tutorial!

Meet Trouble the Dog. Trouble is a Border Collie, arguably one of the smartest breeds of dogs out there.....and he expels his hair all the time....all over....everyday.

Sometimes I think I could make another Border Collie everyday with the hair that is collected.

For this reason, I LOVE my little swiffer-type broom that whizzes around our terrazzo & tile floors and picks up another border collie's worth of hair off the floor. I have an Omop made by Method and sold at Target. I like it a lot better than a Swiffer. The head is larger and you have the option of disposable corn-based dusters or a reusable microfiber pad that you can use wet or dry. I really like the green aspects of the Omop as opposed to Swiffer's petroleum based cloths and cleansers. But I don't like the prices, so naturally I set out to find some diy alternatives.
First, I noticed the bottom was microfiber, backed by some sort of absorbent batting, then a felt back. It was quilted and had serged seams. Perfect, except I don't sew.....at least not well. So instead, I opted for a backup refill head and purchased 2 microfiber dishtowels. I actually bought those at the $1 store.
I took one of the disposable cloths measured and cut my microfiber cloths to size. I made four out out of two microfiber dishtowel size cloths for $2. Awesome!
Two clothes cut from one microfiber dishtowel.
The width of the towel was perfect so I only ended up with one side that is unfinished. I reasoned that I could attempt to finish that side if it frayed. After several washes, the cloth is not fraying so I plan to leave unfinished (rather than battle my arch nemesis, the sewing machine. Method also has some great cleaning products that come in good looking packaging but I can make my own for pennies on the dollar. The mop kit I purchased came with a sample of floor cleaner so I make enough to refill that bottle because I really like the nozzle. You could also use a plain spray bottle. I make a version similar to my counter spray that I posted last week. This is a much greener way to keep those floors tidy!

By the way,
Trouble has his own website. Have a good day! Live Aloha!

1 comment:

mIzZ (hONeY) bEe aka Marlene said...

Hi Barbara,

Hope all is well...wanted to stop by your blog to "Hello"...I love your tutorials - they are certainly some helpful & green tips...keep up the GREEN/GOOD work...have a honey of a day...

From your Salt Water Taffy Swap"ette" at the Jersey Shore Marlene :O)