Coming from the farm, you can imagine the challenges of keeping a home clean. My Mom and her neighbors didn't have those fancy cleaning supplies filling Wal-mart shelves (Lavender scented? My aunties would say "Go pick the blossoms yourself"). They had a few rules and a few basics. Today, even being city folks, I still apply them.
When I see people wearing outdoor shoes in the house, my stomach turns. Do that on a farm and, well, yuck. Farmers spend their day knee deep in sh** (to put it bluntly). Sometimes I didn't even want to wear those shoes OUTSIDE. Wear them inside and the place would end up smelling and looking like a barn.
Plus one rock in the tread of a shoe and your hardwood is a goner. I saw that at a house party. Not a good scene.
We also didn't eat on carpeted areas, not every day (for special occasions, sure). Spills are easier to mop up on tile and even hardwood. One of the upsides to this rule is that it "forces" families to eat together, usually at the table. The hubby and I have some of our best conversations there.
As for cleaning supplies, I mostly use two basics, vinegar and bleach. Bleach with water (dilution pending on the surface) is used on floors, bathroom surfaces, tile, etc. Vinegar, again with water, cleans glass like a dream (50/50 split). Streak free and wonderful. It also is a good sub for that jetdry stuff in the dishwasher.
For antique wood and other fragile surfaces, I'll spring for the fancy cleaners but for the large surfaces, bleach and vinegar (not together), that's it.
Now, as with the investing techniques I talk about, you gotta do your own research on the basic cleaners. Makes no sense wrecking up thousands of dollars in hardwood to save a couple dollars on cleaners.