Most homes contain various store-bought products for cleaning. Many of these manufactured cleaning products are toxic. You can replace these products with safer alternatives that are easy to make and economical, too.

The basic ingredients are items that are either readily available in your home or easy to find at your local grocery store. Homemade cleaners are versatile, so they require less storage space than all of your conventional cleaning products. The results are impressive and will equal and often outperform commercial cleaners.

Basic ingredients checklist

Baking soda
Vinegar
Water
Lemon juice
Ammonia
Salt
Borax
Vegetable or olive oil
Club soda
Isopropyl alcohol
Toothpaste
Spray bottles

Before you get started

Mix in a well-ventilated area.
Label containers and store in a safe place.
Use containers with tight-fitting lids.
Don't reuse old containers from other cleaners.
Don't mix bleach and ammonia.
Don't store in food containers.
Test an area before using any cleaner.

Quick tips

Dusting �?Re-use dryer sheets, instead of Pledge or Swiffer cloths.
Linoleum floors �?Use club soda.
Fabric softener �?Add vinegar to the rinse cycle.
Microwave cleaner �?Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda or lemon juice and 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for five minutes or until the liquid boils and condensation builds up inside the microwave.
Chrome cleaner �?Use toothpaste.
Dishwasher rinse �?Use 1-1/2 cups of white vinegar added to the rinse compartment of your dishwasher.

The following recipes are safe and non-toxic.

Glass Cleaner
1 gallon water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon liquid dish detergent

or

1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
1 cup water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Mix and add to a spray bottle.

Wood Floor Cleaner

1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Mix well.

All-Purpose Cleaner

1 tsp. borax
1/2 Tsp. washing soda **
2 T. lemon juice
In a spray bottle, combine the ingredients with 1 cup of hot water and shake.

Furniture Polish

1 cup vegetable or olive oil
½ cup lemon juice
Combine in a spray bottle mix, shake well and apply a small amount to a cloth.

Multi-Purpose Deep Cleaner

1 cup household ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
1 gallon warm water
Mix well.

As you can see, homemade cleaners are simple and frugal to make. They are safe and effective, too. Replacing even one of your conventional cleaners with a greener alternative can make a difference. You've got to ask yourself if you're "killing yourself" trying to clean your house with commercial chemicals.

© Sara Noel

Sara Noel is a freelance writer and the editor/publisher of FrugalVillage. com and HomesteadGarden. com.

**   Washing soda--sodium carbonate--is in the same family as baking soda. It has just been processed differently. It is much more caustic/alkaline, with a pH of 11, and while it doesn't give off harmful fumes, you do need to wear gloves. It is found in the laundry section of most supermarkets. Arm & Hammer is one brand; Shop and Save has a generic house brand. In Canada it is most commonly sold under the brand names of Borax and Borateam.

Washing soda cuts grease, cleans petroleum oil, removes wax or lipstick, and neutralizes odors in the same way that baking soda does. Don’t use it on fiberglass, aluminum or waxed floors—unless you intend to remove the wax.

Care2.com has additional uses (such as removing fireplace soot) for this inexpensive cleanser.