Microfiber Miracle!

So, this isn't really a new discovery for me, and it's not really "homestead", but I LOVE microfiber cleaning cloths! They can literally do anything and everything, and the best part is, for most of the jobs you can eliminate cleaning products! (Sounds weird, but I will explain).

These are my weapon of choice. You can buy them at Lowe's for a little less than $3, or on Amazon for even less than that.

To give you just a little taste of what they are capable of, I will clean my filthy sliding glass door with nothing more than water and 2 microfiber cloths. Here is what I am up against: 
Technique: I wet one cloth and rung it out, and left one dry. I wiped the whole window down with the wet cloth, then dried it with the dry cloth, and... voila! A masterpiece! 
Here is another shot of the masterpiece: 
I hate to admit it, but I was extremely surprised at how clean my doors were! The best parts:

1. it was quick. No buckets to fill and lug around, no juggling clean and dirty towels.
2. it was cheap. Since I already had the cloths, it was free.

3. it was healthy for me. NO chemicals, fragrances, fumes, etc.

4. it was healthy for the environment. No chemicals touch me, no chemicals touch the environment. WIN, WIN, WIN situation.

Note: they also clean mirrors with excellent results.

Other Note: I also use them to clean my counters. I am pro-germs, so I just wet them down and scrub. (I do still use Clorox on them when I need to disinfect something, like if raw chicken juice gets on the counter.) But for the most part, it cuts down on the number of chemicals you use, gives your immune system a boost (if you want to know the science, Google "Getting the Dirt on Germs", an article by USC's health magazine), and saves you money!