Turning the wasteful Ready Mop into a reusable cleaning tool

We bought our first Clorox Ready Mop about 7-8 years ago, right when they first came out. I loved it for all the wrong reasons -- the disposable mop head (no messy sponge to rinse!), the built-in toxic cleaning fluid (no inconvenient bucket!), the trigger that sprayed the solution for me (no bending!). Then it stopped working after 3-4 years and we threw away the old one and bought the next generation Ready Mop, which worked even better. Then I woke up and realized it was no longer compatible with my lifestyle and set it aside for three years (and basically stopped washing the kitchen floor). Seriously. I knew at some point we'd be ripping out that old vinyl, but had no idea it would take three years. Ew.

Now I have a new Marmoleum kitchen floor and I love it. I want to keep it clean all the time. The minute I spill something I'm down with a sponge or towel, mopping it up. I'm going to take good care of this floor because I want it to last. So it was time to revisit the old Ready Mop, which was gathering dust in the garage. Luckily I hadn't tossed the empty cleaning solution bottle, so I filled it with 1/4 white vinegar and 3/4 water. For the mop head I used a washcloth. And guess what? It works perfectly, while still providing the convenience for which it was intended. Except now I toss the mop head into the laundry rather than the garbage. I think I was inspired to try this by a reader comment (wish I could find it) -- so thank you. I can't tell you how many times I've been inspired by you all!

I would not advise running out to buy a Ready Mop because it's still a cheap, plastic gadget. I have no faith that I'll be using it in another 3-4 years because, inevitably, it will break and be destined for the landfill. (I will one day replace it with something more durable.) But if you own one already or its Swiffer counterpart, you can resurrect it and use it safely and waste-freely once more.