Housecleaning has been the bane of my existence for as long as I can remember. At the ripe old age of 50, I finally came to accept the fact that I would never be named "Housekeeper of the Year." I think that my recalcitrance stemmed from my belief that housekeeping was, to a large extent, pointless. Take the kitchen, for example. I would spend an hour or two scrubbing it to spotless perfection, only to cook a meal and have grease-spattered countertops and smudged cupboards defiantly stare back at me. In my heart, I just knew that all of the dust in the neighborhood chose my house as its final resting place. The stuff accumulated on the blinds, on picture frames, on ceiling fans, on knick-knacks - and of course on coffee tables and the top of the TV.



My shortcomings as a housekeeper were never more obvious than when I went to visit my two closest friends. To say they are tidy is an understatement. A dust mote wouldn't dare cross the thresholds of their homes. I suspect that one of my friends cleans her house with the thought that Martha Stewart will show up any day to give it the white glove test, while the other spends part of each Saturday morning on a stepstool, cleaning the tops of her doorframes. On more than one occasion, I found myself rolling my eyes, wondering if they didn't have more productive ways to spend their time. Deep down, however, I was just a tad bit envious. After all, it's not that I don't enjoy the tranquility of a clean home; housekeeping just never came out at the top of my list of priorities.

About a year ago, my perspective shifted when the three of us were out to lunch and one friend mentioned in passing that she'd misplaced her cleaning mitt. My other friend was empathetic, and I sat back as the two discussed the wonders of an ultimate cloth that made cleaning a breeze. As they waxed poetic about a mirafiber cloth that was washable, bleachable, and guaranteed for five years, I realized that they didn't spend an inordinate amount of time on housecleaning. Rather, they had found a product that made housekeeping a breeze.

Although it went against my nature, I decided to give this ultimate cloth a try. What I discovered was eye-opening. Essentially, I could clean my whole house (and my car) with water and a cloth. I didn't need a whole cabinet full of cleaning supplies, and I didn't have to waste paper towels. Instead, I could wet the cloth, wring it out, wipe down the surface I was cleaning, and then walk away knowing it was all streak free. I could get rid of everything from hair spray and grease to dust and soap scum without using any chemicals at all. I even got a cleaning mitt, which worked great for blinds, ceiling fans, and small items.

I'll still never be named "Housekeeper of the Year," but with my ultimate cloth, I discovered that keeping my house clean doesn't have to be an unpleasant chore. I don't have to choose between having a clean house and doing the things I love. Now, I can "clean as I go" and keep my house spic and span, and still have plenty of time for the things in life that are most important to me.