Beyond Swiffer

A couple of months ago, I tried to mop the floor. Mop, not Swiffer. I carefully swept everywhere first, trying to remove all the dust. When I was finished mopping however, wet dustballs clung to the white strings like leeches. I used copious amounts of water and then, discovering that the sink was clogged, used more water and cleaning agent to unclog it. There was no way that entire process was better for the environment than a discarded Swiffer cloth--was there?

This weekend I mopped my bedroom floor for the first time in months. I have a special sponge mop for this, and use Murphy's wood soap. The sponge mop took about 10 seconds to clean, though I still regretted the dirty chemical-ridden water that I had to pour down the drain. That couldn't be good for the ducks, either.

Tonight, I came across this article. One of their suggestions is to mix vinegar and baking soda with some warm water and use that to clean your floors (with a sponge mop, of course). This doesn't sound too time-consuming and is certainly inexpensive. I plan to try it sometime in the coming week. I am skeptical about some of their suggestions, though. Buying natural sponges from "sponge farms" sounds more expensive and I doubt that they last any longer. And while using a dishwasher might be more efficient, I don't have one, and will have to continue wasting water the old-fashioned way.

Finally, here are 2 saving water suggestions I probably won't try, but wholeheartedly support those who do:
1. Recycle your greywater. Save the water from the shower or dishwasher and use it to mop the floor.

2. Instead of showers or baths, try bathing with a bucket. Whenever I visit my relatives in Asia, they fill a bucket with water, hand you a jug, and you're good to go. This includes washing your hair and shaving your legs. Trust me, it can be done.