I don't pay any attention or believe the commercials that I see on the television or any of the ads in print. No, my world would not fall apart without the latest household cleaning product that promise me (us) whiter-than-white, brighter-than bright and cleaner-than-clean. There are hundreds of them on grocery store shelves available in powders, foams and sprays, Liquids and Gels. Specially formula products for every household surface like toilets, sinks, countertops, floors, woodwork, etc. Even the air that in my home can be treated with spray cleanser that claims to kill germs and yet leave a fresh scent.

The truth is that any number of these products are so much hype. Sure the majority of them work well enough, but at what cost? Some are costly in an economic sense; or we pay an enivironmental price for others. Air refresheners routinely contain formaldehyde; furniture polish might contain Nitrobenzene. Some toilet cleaners have Hydrochloric Acid in them. And there are plenty of other commercial products that contain Phospates, Bleach or Ammonia. Considering the large quantities of these products that are sold, these active ingredients do little for our health or our environment.

It's enough to make anyone with a concern for their environment to reconsider their weekly house cleaning routine. So what is a "environmentally concerned person" (like me)to do?

Fortunately, there are really only six main ingedients needed for most household cleaning task. All of them have been around for years and have proven themselves effective, but they don't get a lot of the advertisng. They are
(1)White Vinegar,
(2)Lemon juice, (
3)Water,
(4)Baking Soda (Sodium bicarbonate), used as a cleanser and to absorb odors. The leavening agent in baking bread.
(5)BoraxSodium borate, a mineral Salt that has been used as an antiseptic since the Middle ages.
(6)Castille bar soap True Castile is a mild, olive oil-based pure soap. In fact, any all-natural, all-vegetable, biodegradable and phosphate-free bar soap makes a good "green" cleanser. For the recipes in which it is called for, simply grate the soap bar with a cheese grater.
Note: Be sure to read the labels carefully to ensure that a product called "Castille" or "all-natural" is genuine and doesn't contain sodium laurel sulphates, synthetic preservatives, artificial coloring or scent or foaming agents.

With these basic ingredients, you can make household cleaners to take care of most everyday cleaning needs.

Add Salt, Club Soda and your favorite essential oils to the list and your are ready for any stubborn stains or cleaning problems. Not only using homemade cleansers are economical, they are relatively environmentally benign and safer for everyone in your house!