Some cleaning tools are so good they make you think, “Where have you been all my life?” As a cleaning writer, whenever I catch wind of a new (or new-to-me) cleaning product, tool, or method, I’m eager to try it. That’s how I ended up knowing about Tawashi brushes, which are Japanese scrubbers that can be used on everything from cast iron skillets to carrots. 

But there’s one cleaning tool that I’d heard about off and on and never tried: E-cloths. I think I was skeptical. How can these microfiber cloths clean better than regular ones? Deciding they couldn’t, I never tried them — and I missed out on actual years of this incredible cleaning tool. 

I’m not sure what prompted me to eventually try them out. Maybe it was all the “fresh start/try new things” energy from our recent move and the slow overhaul of my cleaning products. Whatever the case, I ordered the E-Cloth Home Cleaning Set from Target.

And I was completely blown away. It turns out that E-cloths are a “premium microfiber cloth” specifically designed to remove 99 percent of bacteria, along with dirt, grime, and smudges. To clean with E-cloths, all you need to do is wet them with water — no cleaners are ever needed! That’s because it’s made of polyamide and polyester fibers that are tightly woven together to trap and absorb messes. This allows it to effectively pick up messes on surfaces better than an average microfiber cloth. E-cloths also go a step further by customizing products to the tasks.

The stainless steel E-cloths, which come in the Home Cleaning Set, includes one rag with scrubby stripes. You wet this rag and use it to clean your stainless steel. Then you follow up with a dry polishing cloth. The result is a mirror-like finish, using only the rags and water! 

When I clean my kitchen countertops with either the all-purpose E-cloth or the kitchen one, both of which came in my set, they not only look pristine, but they also feel incredibly clean and smooth. This was true when I used them even immediately following a wipe-down with my usual rag and cleaning spray, a method which I’m phasing out. 

The window cleaning E-cloths, another special rag and polishing cloth set, feels like a true test of how smudge-free the cloths can render surfaces. After all, you can see every streak and smudge on glass. The window cloths were just as impressive. One wipe-down with the wet cloth followed by a polish with the dry rag and I couldn’t believe the crystal-clear finish I got on both mirrors and glass doors. 

Not only do the cloths themselves clean exceptionally well, but they also help simplify my cleaning routine and supplies drastically. Without having to use specialty sprays for all the different types of surfaces in my home, I’m able to save both storage space and money. And when it comes time to clean, I don’t have to schlep around a bunch of different spray bottles. It’s freeing and fantastic. 

I buy a few more cloths every time I see they’re on sale at Target. (I’ve often snagged them for 25 percent off.) I’d love to amass a collection that makes them my only cleaning cloths, with an appropriate set for each bathroom, the kitchen, and general cleaning throughout my home. 

In true show of how excited I am about these cloths, I’ve been telling everyone I know they have to buy them. Of course, I had to share it with you! 

Buy: E-Cloth Home Cleaning Microfiber Cloth Set — 8 pc, $34.99

This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: I’m a Cleaning Writer and I Can’t Believe I Never Tried These Incredible Cloths Before

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