You have a Swiffer Wet jet. The bottle of cleaning solution it came with is now empty and you want to fill it with your own cleaning solution. You go to unscrew the cap to refill it and realize ... it doesn't come off. Yup. Those Swiffer people are sneaky. Here's how you can be sneakier.
I have nothing against beer, I just don't want to wash my floor with it. And for some reason every time I used my Swiffer Wet jet on my floor (no this isn't a sponsored post) I could smell beer wafting up from my checkerboard kitchen tiles. Not such a bad thing but in a kitchen it meant I was constantly craving beer battered fish and chips.
At first I thought my beer loving mother Betty was sneaking in during the night to have one of her famous keggers, but as it turned out it was just the smell of the Swiffer Wet jet cleaning solution.
I love my Wet jet for doing quick cleanings of my floor but I'd been meaning to figure out a way to refill the container because a) I didn't like the smell and b) my VCT tile floor needs a very specific type of cleaner to keep it looking good. Also it angers me to no end that they purposely package the solution in a bottle that isn't refillable so you constantly have to buy new plastic bottles of cleaning solution.
My VCT tile floor needs a neutral PH floor cleaner and I need a lemony smelling floor cleaner. It just gives a cleaner scent than the Swiffer cleaner which smells like Oktoberfest farts.
My first thought was to try to pry the cap off of the bottle and refill it that way but they're done a really good job of making that impossible without breaking something. Either your hand or the bottle.
So I gave up.
It wasn't that important and I had other more important things to do like take care of my compulsion to cook bratwurst.
Then about a month ago it hit me that I was going about it backwards. I didn't need to pry off Swiffer's opening, I needed to make a new one.
And if you're wanting to make your Swiffer Wet jet container reusable it's all you have to do too.
Do Your Own Swiffer Wet Jet Refills
- Grab a cork and a big drill bit.
2. Drill a hole in the top of the Swiffer container. It's easiest to do this with the bottle still in the Swiffer because it holds it still.
3. Little bits will have fallen into the container. Remove the Swiffer container and shake it until all the plastic bits fall out.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
If you use a cleaner that needs to be mixed with water, write on the bottle how much cleaner you need to add to the filled container. For me it's 4 teaspoons of cleaner to 1.4 litres of water (the amount the Swiffer container holds)
4. Fill the container with your cleaner and water. You might find it helpful to use a funnel. You might not. The GREATEST thing about this whole refilling tip is that when you mix your cleaner you can use HOT water to clean your floor.
5. Plug the hole with your cork or stopper.
5. Done!
HOW TO REFILL A SWIFFER WET JET.
Materials
- Cork or another type of plug
Tools
- Drill
- Drill Bit
Instructions
- Find a cork or plastic plug that you can use as a stopper in a hole.
- Drill a hole into the top of the Swiffer bottle that's the size of your plug.
- Remove the bits of plastic that fall into the container after drilling.
- Fill the Swiffer Wet jet container with your favourite floor cleaner.
- Plug the hole with your cork or stopper.
- Done! You now have a refillable Swiffer Wet Jet.
Notes
The size of hole you drill doesn't matter, it just needs to be big enough to pour cleaning solution and water into and you need to have a cork that will fit into it tightly.
If your cork doesn't fit tightly you can make it bigger by soaking it in hot water. An hour might be long enough, or 12 hours depending on how much bigger you need the cork to be.
If your cork is too big, you can shave it down with a knife.
Here's another Swiffer tip if you don't know it already.
Instead of buying their disposable cleaning pad, use a microfibre cloth. It will velcro right on the bottom just like the original Swiffer pad but it does a better job of cleaning and you can just toss them in the washing machine to reuse over and over.
ALSO I'm terribly worried you don't know that you can make your own diy foaming hand soap. You can. Here's how to do it. I mean if you're the kind of person who's into refilling your Swiffer bottles, chances are you're gonna want to know how to make your own fluffy, foamy soap.
By creating your own refillable bottle you're saving the environment, money and your nose from those Oktoberfest beer smells which you've replaced with the sunshiny scent of lemons.
Now if you'll excuse me I have a really strong urge to make a lemon curd.
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Betty Wetty
This sounds like a DUH idea. Like, wow, why didn't I think of that. But it does have one basic, inherent problem. If you're like me, you don't finish a whole bottle in one mopping. Hmmmm... now I have to store a refill bottle with a hole in the bottom that isn't sealed 100% safe!
LOL, so next time I go to take that refill bottle out of wherever it's been resting, what are the chances that all the liquid in that bottle leaked all over the place!
Now, was that worth the savings of not purchasing the stupid bottles new?
Choice is yours. No way am I trying this one.
Karen
I have zero idea what you're talking about. The hole you make in the Swiffer bottle is at the top. It doesn't leak. ~ karen!
Marcia
I don't have one of these, but I wonder if Betty takes the bottle off the Swiffer when she stores it and thus can't store it top part up as you normally would.
Ella
Why would anyone do that??
Karen
No, you wouldn't remove it to store it. If you did the bottle would leak out of the bottom where it has a factory made hole for dispensing the soap. I think they were either just confused or being argumentative for the fun of it. ~ karen!
BethC
I like to release the bottle when not using the Swiffer, because it seems like if I didn't, the solution would evaporate. But I always leave it on the mop when I hang it up. When I go to use the mop again, I just push down on the bottle to reconnect it. Maybe that's why she takes hers off? Anyway, great info, definitely doing this! Thanks!
Joey
No need to be defensive Karen. There are better ways to go about this anyway.
Jean
Just make enough solution for a one time use,I like this idea because like it says in the article you can use hot water.
Joey
Yes this is a terrible way to go about this and Karen seems really defensive about your comment.
Boil water and hold the cap end of the bottle in the hot water for about 20 seconds. The cap will unscrew easily. At this point you can use a box cutter to remove the small safety tabs in the cap that prevent it from being unscrewed normally. Once you’ve done this the bottle will unscrew, and you can refill it without this silly drilled hole approach.
Patrice
Will it leak when you remove it multiple times?
a. chandler
i have to laugh at some of the things that i have seen on the internet, not to mention specific categories dealing with the swiffer! i like your solution to drill a hole in the top of the bottle for pouring the solution in to the bottle! however, you can dip the bottle in boiling water for less than a minute and remove the cap with a towel, then cut the grab plastic off the inner cap! you will be able to fill it again and again with no effort at all! my concern is your solution to go into the bottle! if you use water and a soap product, you better hope there is enough preservative in the soap product or bacteria, mold, and viruses can grow in that solution even though it is sealed! if the soap or cleaner is pine sol or lysol or something stable then you are ok! also, i've found that too much soap or cleaner creates a layer on the floor with swiffer or any type of mop! i know because i tested 10 plus mops and solutions to go in the mops and swiffer formula even leaves residue because of the Polyethyleneimine, Polypropylene Glycol N-Butyl Ether, and Alkyl Polyglucoside! i make my own liquid solution too! but, i avoid too much soap, surfactant, detergent, cleaner solution in the water and use only distilled water because depending on where you live, you could be adding chloramine to your solution! most people don't realize the dangers of chemicals----meaning soaps, detergents, surfactants, etc...
if you mix chlorine or chloramine with rubbing or ethyl alcohol you create chloraform a knockout drug! when you mix peroxide with vinegar or acetic acid you create peracetic acid which is deadly! anyway i am greatful for your solution despite the fact that drilling in the plastic can cause miniscule particles of plastic that could clog the swiffer in time! i'm not trying to be negative because your knowledge and insight is power to you and others!
April Newell
I don't have a drill but I have two kids and sticky floor so I tried your trick with boiling water. Awesome worked like a charm refilled my bottle with Lysol and my floor no longer sticky this trick is much simpler and much quicker and if you don't have a drill more practical! Thank you 😊
Jack Ponticelli
If a man (generic) put it on there is usually a way to get it off thanks for the tip.
Jack
Danielle
My roommate and I have been trying different techniques for this all week (including heating the cap and using pliers, literally almost every hack). This is the only one that has worked without frustration and lies. What a life saver. Thanks for helping out two broke college students.
Karen
That's fantastic! I keep meaning to try the hot water one but haven't ever gotten around to it. ~ karen!
Mark Cave
You can take any curve jaw pliers, vice grips, or channel lock pliers, and twist the cap right off. The plastic is soft and those little tabs will just strip right off. The next time you can do it with your hand, if not one more twist with the pliers will do it.;
Molly Mopper
Oh my goodness, forget the drill and funnel and cork, just make the cap completely removable once and for all with a little heat and a little snip.
https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-remove-the-cap-on-a-Swiffer-Wet-Jet-cleaner/#step1
T Clark
So ready to try this. I'm in the midst of the Great Wet Jet Refill Shortage of 2020!(Google search offered up 2018 & 2019 as well)
Conspiracy?! Yes, to waste my money!
Andrea Vaughan
Brilliant, I just did it work like a charm
Susan Schneider
Thank you, Karen, for sharing this problem and money saving idea! I followed your directions and had DH make a hole for me and carved a little on a wine cork to make it fit better. Voila! I don't have to pay for refills anymore, thanks to you. Much appreciated, you are, Karen!
Cynthia
Well I have a second way to refill your Swiffer bottle. Heat a small pot of water almost to boiling. Hold the cap in the water for several seconds. That will shrink the cap enough to twist off. Of course, it is smart to use a cloth to open. Don't want to get in trouble if someone grabs hold of a hot top! Have been doing this for a year or so. So nice and saves me $$.
Catherine
I LOVE this! And dang, girl... you are awesome. And by that I mean AWESOME!
Kristin M
OMG! This is by far the best answer this problem I've seen. Thank you so much for sharing this! Ive been trying to figure out the the easiest way to refill the swiffer for ages. I clean the floors a LOT. (Hardwoods, a new puppy and a home daycare. Yikes.) The boiling water method did not work!! Can't wait to do this!
Erin
I don't even know what's in the liquid in the Swiffer WetJet. Poison? And now I have 2 kittens with very sensitive tummies and I need greener cleaners, but I also love the convenience of the Swiffer. So I took to modifying... I tried the softening the cap method in boiling water and ended up hurting my hand. Happy to come across this tutorial and happier that my boyfriend had a drill set (I'm not a handy person, so that might not be what its called...). It worked! And as soon as I was done drilling I realized I needed a cork, oops, should have thought about that... I ended up cutting down a liquor cork to fit the hole. Perhaps I'll get a better cork one day, but it seems to have done the trick. Now I can refill with a safe cleaner for my pets! Thanks for the advice!
Heather Sykora
I bought a Rubbermaid microfiber 18" wide floor mop T Home Depot 8 years ago. It does not have an attached spray mechanism. ( and therefore nothing to break....) I just use a quality spray bottle and mix Puracy non toxic cleaner and water. Alternately, Sometimes I make one microfiber cloth damp and go over the room with that and follow with a dry one to get off all the stuff.
The 18 inch size is great for larger areas. And their still going strong after 8 years!!
Allison
This is pure genius! Use your own cleaner, less $ and less waste! I never bought a swimmer due to the waste, and price but I might consider it now. PS you should be bow to get rubber corks for this purpose at a science supple store for a few pennies, or beg a friend that works in a lab. We never use the tiny ones that come in a pack anyway!
nancy
You are a certified Genius!!!! I have a refillable Swiffer-type mop that Bona makes, but it doesn't "spritz" worth a darn. I only use it between honest-to-goodness moppings. But Swiffer is $$ and I'm always running out. Now I can fill my Swiffer dispenser with the Bona product. (which I buy in bulk at Costco). YAY!
Meg
Nice! I actually found a way to take the white cap off.... I use and adjustable wrench and you need to run it under really hot water to soften the plastic a bit and pry off... so far I haven't broken anything! My cleaner of choice is murphy's oil soap.
Karen
Thanks Meg! A couple of other people mentioned that. I'll give it a shot as well! ~ karen
Renee Ryz
I thought about a steamer. but doesn't that ruin wood floors? I have wood through my whole house except for the bathroom. I use the Bona wood cleaner, but sometimes it seems sticky after. Not sure what I am doing wrong...
Grace
I haven't had problems with using the steamer on my hardwood floors, but to be honest, I don't steam them very often as they don't get sticky or dirty, mostly dusty. I wouldn't steam them every week, but the water doesn't soak through the floor.
Carla
I refill mine all the time, but I take my bottle and boil a pan of water and once boiling, I put the top of the bottle and leave in for about 45 seconds. I then take a pair of pliers and unscrew it. Love the idea of the microfiber cloth as well.
Dorine Eckert
Carla,
Thanks for the quick and easy tip. Works great!!!!
Nancy Blue Moon
I would kill to have your kitchen floors...ok...maybe not kill...I would consider it for some of that lemon curd though...great ideas here!
Tina
LOL!!! I thought you said "lemon crud". I thought you meant her lemon smelling floor cleaner! It's late, I'm tired.
Amanda
Totally off topic but I just tried your hamburger recipe and I think I love you... the only thing I changed was - I raise my own pigs so I used ground pork instead of beef, but holy wow I will be making pork burgers this way from here on out. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.... : )
Barb
I think I've said this here before but it's worth saying again. Go natural! I've been weaning myself off most cleaners with much success. It's good for the budget and good for the environment and it might even help you breathe easier! I use vinegar and/or baking soda for cleaning almost everything (except wood). I've hacked my Swiffer and fill with vinegar or homemade lemon or grapefruit vinegar and it cleans like a charm.
I also use vinegar in place of fabric softeners now and use knobbly dryer balls in the dryer and my clothes come out great. No dryer sheets for the landfill or chemicals down the drain. I happen to like the smell of vinegar but for those who don't the smell dissipates very quickly. I do still keep a bottle of bleach on hand for the really tough jobs but baking soda and a brush work wonders on most things. Just try these things for one month and see what you think.
Laurinda
Lemon vinegar DOES smell delightful :-) Instead of bleach (which is harsh on the environment) maybe give hydrogen peroxide a try. It also sanitizes, & can be mixed with baking soda. I put a spray top right on the bottle, because why not :-D
Barb
Thanks a bunch! I'll give it a try. Always looking for ways to save money and clean smarter!