The prospect of trying out a few new grime-fighters seemed like a good idea. Heaven knows the floors, toilets and windows at the homestead were worthy of the tests. We found a few products we now consider indispensable . . . and a few that are better left to the professionals — or at least those who know enough to read the directions first. Here's a roundup with notations on those we tested.

        Windex Outdoor Window and Surface Concentrated Cleaner ($7.97). This cleaner from Johnson & Son Inc., attaches to a garden hose and reaches second-floor windows without a ladder — or any scrubbing or wiping dry. Just screw on the hose, turn the nozzle and it rinses, bubbles and rinses again using a “sheeting” action that gets rid of the dirt without scrubbing.

        We tried it on picture windows with excellent results. One bottle does 18-23 windows. Also works on patio furniture and play sets, according to the label.

        Zep Citrus Cleaner & Degreaser ($1 for 32 ounces). Read the directions before you start spraying this concentrated cleaner. Even though it comes in a spray bottle (exclusively at Home Depot), it should be diluted for most jobs and shouldn't be used at all on others. It also comes in a hardwood floor cleaner, a no-wax floor cleaner mixture.

        We tried it on a stainless steel sink at full strength — excellent — and on a toilet seat — disastrous. It took off the finish. Afterward, I read the label to find that it shouldn't be used on some surfaces. Full-strength, it's great for manly garage-type greasy cleaning: garage floors, lawnmowers, engines and tires. A dash in the disposal keeps things sweet-smelling and gunk-free. It's staying in the garage at my house.

        Swiffer WetJet (Starter kit with mop, solution, six pads, $48.24. Pad refills, $5.84 for 12; solution refills $3.74, 33.8 ounces, enough for 1,076 square feet). The convenience of not having a mop to wring out and a cumbersome bucket to lug around is undeniable. The grandson of Procter & Gamble's Swiffer, this battery-powered (4 AAs) sweeper uses a bottle of cleaning solution upended and attached to the spindly handle that spurts out cleaner a foot in front of the mop. One disposable absorbent pad lasts for several cleanings (323 square feet).

        We tried it on tile floor after a chocolate chip cookie-making session. It picked up the surface dirt adequately, dried quickly and left a nice shine. But it left dried bits stuck to the floor (even after the suggested wait). It was effective for any dirt in the cracks, and was excellent on linoleum. The swivel head was excellent for getting under refrigerator and counter edges. A veteran floor-mopper, I missed leaning into my old mop's sturdy handle and scrubber edge for dried grime.

        Note: Pledge, Scotch-Brite and Swiffer make the lightweight sweepers with attachable cleaning cloths for picking up dust bunnies, pet hair and light surface dirt. (Pledge and Swiffer also make disposable cloths moistened with cleaner that fit on the same mop). We tried it during dog-shed time and got excellent results but the process required several cloths per room. We even turned the cloths inside-out for a longer life, without much success.

        Pledge Grab-It Mitt ($3.78 for 12). Handy disposable mitts, like the other Pledge Grab-It cloths and mops, trap dust, dirt and hair through their special surface fibers. The plus here is that the cloth slips over your hand so you can swipe the table top or TV screen, ceiling fan or blind cleaning in one pass.

        We tried it on living room tables, shelves and frames, and it was excellent but the difference between the mitt and the cloth was very minor. Why bother?

        3M Scotch-Brite High Performance Cleaning Cloths ($5.99 for one 12-by-14-inch cloth, which can be laundered and reused). The best thing about these soft micro-texture reuseable cloths is they remove fingerprints, smears and smudges without spraying any cleaner. They are recommended for CDs, cameras, binoculars, mirrors, windows, anywhere you're looking for lint-free, streak-free shine. Scotch-Brite also makes a cleaning cloth mitt.

        We tried it, dry, on a sliding glass door, chrome stove top and CDs with good results. It even picked up the grease on the stove top. But put aside the one you use on CDs so it doesn't pick up oils or grease from other cleaning jobs.

        Dirt Devil Carpet Shampooer/Spot Scrubber ($48.87). This mini shampooer for everyday spills, stairs and upholstery has a 9-ounce cleaning solution tank and a 12-ounce collection tank with a rotating brush powered by a 120-volt motor. The biggest plus is its small size and 20-foot cord.

        Black & Decker ScumBuster ($38.86 plus different accessory packs). The cordless tub and tile scrubber, powered by a rechargeable battery, uses different sets of brushes to expand its cleaning territory to carpets, hubcaps grilles, walls or anywhere you need the muscle of a brush. And it can be submerged in water buckets, sinks or tubs. $38.86 plus different accessory packs.

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