You're right, Bobby - there is nothing like washing a floor on your hands and knees with a rag and a bucket of proper cleaning solution. Sweep, dust mop, vacuum, etc., then get down there and wash that floor!
Swiffer & the like are fine for quick cleaning and touch-up cleaning of spots but the floor will never be as "clean as it can be".
For clothes - there is no substitute for a good thrashing in a washing machine or dry cleaning machine. I'm all about wearing a sweater that hasn't undergone anything nasty and maybe a pair of trousers or pants that have had an easy wearing, but there is a limit to the epidermal matter I can imagine embedded in the fibers of my clothes before it must be flushed away.