Make DIY Floor Mop Refills With This Simple Paper Towel Hack

We've all been there: you've spilled something on your floor and you grab your mop only to find that you're out of refillable mop pads. Even worse, refillable mop pads can quickly become costly and you're often adding a myriad of unknown chemicals to your floors. According to TikTok user @brunchwithbabs, there's a solution, and it's as simple as a roll of paper towels, your favorite cleaning agent, and a mop head. If you're unsure of what brand of paper towels to use, the TicTok hack recommends the blue pack of Viva paper towels — but we've found that any type of paper towel will do the trick.

This helpful hack not only ensures you're never out of floor product, but it also relies on a few items you already have in your home. As long as you have some type of household cleaner and a roll of paper towels that you'd use to clean spills handy, your floors will always be squeaky clean, and this guide explains how.

Viva paper towels are known for being extremely durable and absorbent. This makes them ideal for cleaning and, according to @brunchwithbabs, mopping floors. You'll see in her helpful TikTok video that paper towels serve multiple uses, from removing pet fur to cleaning floors. Even better, you won't have to purchase separate mop pads — you can use the same cleaning solution that you use to wipe down your cabinets, counters, bathrooms, and more.

Begin by grabbing a roll of paper towels. Wrap one around your mop head — as you'd do with your commercially prepared floor mop refills — and ensure it's securely in place. Next, grab your favorite cleaner and spray it directly onto the paper towel. Once it's wet, you're ready to mop. Alternatively, you can also spray some cleaner directly onto your floor if there's an area that needs a little extra elbow grease. 

If you're all about sustainable, eco-friendly cleaning hacks, you can opt for reusable bamboo paper towels, such as these from Amazon. The best part about these is you can toss them in the wash once you're done mopping and can say goodbye to commercially prepared floor mop refills forever. An even more environmentally friendly approach is to use old cotton clothing — like worn-out T-shirts or old bed linen — which are highly absorbent but gentle on your floors.

Additionally, anyone interested in non-toxic floor cleaners can use a simple mixture of water and distilled white vinegar for a versatile, homemade floor cleaner. You just need half a cup of white vinegar mixed with one gallon of water added to a spray bottle. Mix, spritz, and get ready for sparkling floors. Whichever option you choose, there is no doubt that the alternatives are kinder to the environment and easier on your pocket than regular mop refills.