1. Microfiber Cloths

Why You Need Them: Their nylon fibers lift and trap dirt (and grab 99.9 percent of bacteria, according to industry tests). The machine-washable cloths handle almost any chore with just water — no cleaning products needed.
What to Look For: Buy multipacks with various colors so you can “assign one color for each task,” says Donna Smallin, author of The One-Minute Cleaner Plain & Simple (Storey, $11, www.amazon.com).