I'll be the first to confess that I'll never win an award for housekeeper of the year. My home is never filthy, but it has what some friends kindly describe as the "lived in" look. There always seems to be a pile of papers on the dining room table, kids' toys in the living room, and a load of clothes waiting to be folded. It's not that I don't enjoy having a clean and mess-free house; rather, it's that I just seem to have other priorities.

I have a demanding job, so that takes up more hours in the day than I even like to think about. And then there are school activities, chauffeuring my son to sporting events, and errands to run.

But at the root of it all, I've figured out, is that I always end up feeling discouraged when I clean. Why? Because it can so often feel pointless. I can't count the number of times when I've spent hours cleaning my windows, only for the sun to come up the next day and reveal the streaks on the windows. Ditto for my shower doors. It's frustrating to put in that kind of time and wind up with a less-than-desirable result. I've tried using tricks my mother taught me, like using newspapers instead of paper towels, but that offers only a marginal improvement. What I really need is the ultimate cloth for cleaning - streak free cloths that will allow me to wet it, wring it out, wipe it down, and walk away.

If often imagine that, if I could find the ultimate cloth - perhaps made from a new mircofiber or mirafiber - I would finally feel the motivation to keep everything clean and shiny. This ultimate cloth would be totally green and eco-friendly, with no chemicals or other harmful elements. It would be washable and bleachable, so that I could just toss it in the laundry and be able to use it over and over again. This ultimate cloth would also be versatile, so that I could not only use it on my windows and shower doors, but also on my countertops, stainless steel, mirrors, and ceramic tile.

These streak free cloths would be both tough and tender - tough on dirt, yet gentle enough so that it won't scratch or damage the surface I'm cleaning. They would have a magnet effect, so that they're able to grab and hold dirt, dust, and grime, while at the same time being very absorbent.

Frankly, I get tired of a cleaning process where it seems like I'm just pushing dirt and dust around and never really capturing it. In my vision of a perfect world, I'd be able to get a microfiber ultimate cloth string mop that would clean tile floors, laminates, and hardwood floors without chemicals and using just water.

With the latest advances in fiber technology, I wouldn't be surprised if my ultimate cloth exists. Once I find it, I know that my frustration with cleaning will dissipate, and that I'll be more motivated to keep my windows, countertops, and floors sparkling.