Sew a reusable pad out of old t-shirts and a wool blanket for your Swiffer-type mop.

I do not like using disposable cleaning products. I cloth diaper my kids and I use washcloths instead of paper towels. But my Swiffer mop is so convenient! It seemed to me that it was time to stop using disposable mop pads. It will save the environment and save money.

I decided to make this pad out of discarded clothes and a wool blanket I never use because I did not want to throw them away either. The greatest part about this project is that anyone can do it. It does not need to look pretty. You're going to use it to clean your floor, you know?

Cleaning with this pad takes a little more elbow grease than the disposable pads but it cleans great. I recommend making at least two so you have a clean one while the other is in the laundry.

Step 1: Materials List

An old t-shirt
Woven wool blanket (or anything you have on hand that will stick to your mop head)
Disposable pad that comes with your mop
Pencil
Freezer paper
Iron
Ironing board
Scissors or rotary cutter
Pins
Sewing machine
Thread

Step 2: Trace Your Pattern

Trace your disposable pad twice onto the paper side of a piece of freezer paper. Trace your disposable pad once onto another piece of freezer paper.

Step 3: Adhere Freezer Paper to Fabrics

Place the freezer paper plastic-side-down onto the fabric. Iron the paper to the fabric using a low heat and no steam. It will only take a couple seconds. Iron the freezer paper with two tracings to the t-shirt. Iron the paper with one tracing to the blanket.

You could also pin the paper to the fabrics. I just find this to be much easier.

Step 4: Cut Out Your Fabric

Cut along the lines. Remove the freezer paper after you have finished cutting. Remove all the paper (check the second picture in this step).

You should have four pieces of t-shirt fabric and one piece of blanket.

Step 5: Layer and Pin the Fabric

Layer them as such: 3 pieces of t-shirt, 1 piece of wool blanket, 1 piece of t-shirt.

Pin along all of the edges leaving a 3-inch gap. You will not be sewing this gap at first. You need a spot to turn the fabric out-side-in.

Step 6: Sew It: Take 1

Line the fabric up to the edge of the foot of your sewing machine. Sew along all the edges leaving a 3-inch gap of unsewn fabric (this is the hole you will turn the fabric through).

Step 7: Turn the Piece Out-Side-In

Turn the single piece of t-shirt fabric over, pushing all the fabric through the gap and using your finger to poke out the corners.

You should now have four layers of t-shirt fabric all stacked on top of one another with a piece of blanket fabric on top.

Step 8: Sew It: Take 2

Pin the gap and sew once along all of the edges of the piece making sure you close the gap.

Then, sew vertical lines approximately 1- 2 inches apart. Now, sew horizontal lines approximately 1 - 2 inches apart.