Cuban Mop – How to Use This Eco Friendly Swiffer Alternative

If you like the ease of use that a Swiffer offers, but want to find an eco friendly Swiffer alternative, then you must try a Cuban mop. 

I am a person who doesn’t mind sweeping but has always hated mopping. I find most traditional mop and bucket combos to be cumbersome. Plus it quickly starts to feel like I’m just pushing dirty water around on my floors… gross. 

Swiffers are so popular because they reduce both of these frustrations. They are light and easy to use, and you can toss the cleaning pad after mopping each room if you wanted to. The problem? So much waste! Swiffers generate so much unnecessary waste from the single-use cleaning pads to the WetJet refills.

The best solution? The Cuban mop.

What is a Cuban Mop?

A Cuban mop is essentially two round pieces of wood fused together in a T-shape. The longer piece acts as your handle. A small cleaning towel is folded over the shorter piece to act as the mop head. 

As the name suggests, the Cuban mop is most commonly used in Cuba as well as nearby locations like the Carribbean, Central and South America, and Florida.

It is incredibly long-lasting, but when it eventually comes time to toss and replace your Cuban mop, the wood pieces can be composted. Pair it with 100% cotton cleaning towels (that you will wash and reuse) because those can also be composted when they eventually wear out. It’s the ultimate eco friendly Swiffer alternative.

How to Use a Cuban Mop

What You’ll Need:

• Cuban Mop
• Cleaning Towel
• Floor Cleaning Solution – I make my own with 3 gallons of hot water with ½ TBSP of Sal’s Suds (don’t over-do this!) and about 20 drops of Tea Tree Oil

Step 1: Soak Your Towel

In a bucket, sink, or other basin, add your floor cleaning solution. I like to make my own:

• 3 gallons of hot water
• ½ TBSP of Sal’s Suds (don’t over-do this!)
• 20 drops of Tea Tree Oil

Soak your cleaning towel in this solution then ring out any excess water.

Step 2: Fold Your Towel

Lay your dampened towel on the floor, then lay the T-shape of the mop on your cleaning cloth. First fold the bottom corners of your cloth over the wood, then fold the top corners over towards you. It will look something like this:

The last step is to gently lift the mop and pull it towards you to tuck those loose ends underneath. With all of that said, don’t overthink this step. Just fold the cloth over the wooden dowel and mop away!

When you get the sense that one side of your cloth is dirty, flip the mop over and use the other side of your cloth before moving to the next step… 

Step 3: Mop, Rinse, and Repeat

Rinse your cleaning cloth under hot water to remove dirt, then soak it again in your floor cleaning solution. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to continue mopping your floors until everything is clean.

How to Clean Your Cuban Mop

Cleaning your cuban mop materials is super easy. Simply remove your cleaning cloth, and toss it into the wash for next time. That’s it…

How to Dust with a Cuban Mop

If you want to dust your floors before mopping, you can pull out your Cuban mop for this task too! Instead of using a damp cleaning towel, use a dry microfiber cloth. The microfiber will pick up dust and debris from your floors leaving them clear and ready for mopping. 

Making a Swiffer More Sustainable

Lastly, if you’re still feeling committed to your beloved Swiffer, then perhaps you should try one of these Swiffer hacks to eliminate your need for refills or single-use cleaning pads. Either way, consuming less plastic and disposable products is always a good thing.