There's no need to drag out your full-sized upright or canister vacuum for every little cleanup job. Our labs are just finishing up tests of two sweeper/vacs, the Dyson Hard DC56 ($330) and the Swiffer Sweeper/Vac ($40), which combine a wet or dry sweeping cloth with a light-duty cordless vacuum. But once you’ve used even the standard Swiffer Sweeper, one thing hits youundefinedthe cost of replacement pads, which run 30 to 60 cents each. Some consumers have found creative ways to save on the cost of the Swiffer pads.

As our sibling website the Consumerist reports, there are plenty of other items you can use instead of the actual Swiffer pads, including pads you can knit or sew together, microfiber cloth, paper towels, old socks, cloth diapers, worn washcloths, and old clothesundefinedin other words, any washable fabric. Someone even passed along the suggestion to try washing Swiffer pads.