If you think that the only way to get your toilet clean and bacteria free is to pour on the chlorine and stand back - I have news for you! Some of the best cleaners for your bathroom - including your toilet - are already in your home. In fact, they may be on the shelves in your kitchen.

There are many quick, easy and inexpensive ways to clean up virtually any surface in your home, without the use of harmful commercial chemicals. So, there's no longer any reason not to love your home and love the earth.

Here's more good news: if you use these cleaners, you will save a lot of money! Instead of high-priced commercial products, you'll be using your own home-made versions at less than a quarter of the cost (in most cases) - all without leaving a mark on the earth.

Simple household vinegar might be one of the best cleaners already on your shelves. It can be used for a host of cleaning jobs. Not only does it clean; according to Heinz company information, the same vinegar that you can buy at the store as a condiment actually kills 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of viruses. That's pretty good for something that the British eat on french fries!

Everyone has a bathroom mirror - and if yours is like mine, it's constantly covered in grime, toothpaste residue and finger marks from kids who like to draw on a foggy surface. Why not use a bit of home-made window cleaner to have that mirror sparkling again?

Window Cleaner Recipe

• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 cups water
• Spray bottle

You can use this exactly as you would a store-bought product.

While you can use straight vinegar and water to clean any glass surface, you might find that you aren't getting those windows as clean as you'd like. It's because some store-bough products have residues, such as waxes, that are left on the glass surface to help prevent fogging. The small amount of liquid soap in this recipe will help to remove that.

For most surfaces, using vinegar straight from the bottle will work wonders. It deodorizes very effectively and the smell of vinegar will be gone in just a few hours. Do pay attention to the type of surface that you clean with vinegar - as a mild acid, it can damage or bleach color out of soft surfaces.

Don't like the smell of vinegar? You can simply rinse down your surfaces with the fragrance of your choice! Just add 4 drops of your favorite essential oil to a pint of water, and use this with a microfiber cloth after cleaning. However, let your vinegar cleaner dry on the surface first, if you want to ensure the antibacterial action.

Full strength vinegar will often remove mineral scale from your shower head. Soak it overnight in a bowl full of vinegar, sufficient to cover the shower head. In the morning, the limescale will often be gone.

Baking soda is another great everyday item that will solve a host of bathroom cleaning problems, from a dirty oven to your bathroom shower stall. Baking soda's unique cleaning power is the ability to cut greasy or scummy residue. As a result, it's great in the kitchen - but will also work in the bathroom, for that dreaded soap scum on your shower or tub.

A real plus fro baking soda is that it's also completely safe for you to use! In fact, baking soda is so mild to the people and pets in your home that you could even use it in a baby's bath to clean and soothe skin.

Here's a great recipe that will help you to wean yourself from other commercial tub and shower cleaners.

Creamy Scrub

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• enough water to moisten (without dissolving the baking soda)
  
• 1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin

You can make this cleaner in large batches, and then store in a jar. Simply apply to bathroom tile, shower or tub and use as you would any scrub. It's non abrasive and safe for most hard surfaces.

Cleaning a toilet is one of the worst jobs - and yet, it's also the one housekeeping chore that people really want done right. While the kitchen sink (particularly the drain) generally has more microbes than any other location in your home, it's still the toilet that we think of first when we think of germs.

This fear of germs can drive many otherwise "green" consumers to purchase all sorts of nasty chemicals for the toilet. However, here's a fast and simple toilet cleaner that will not only kill germs but also handle stains and limescale.

Monique's Favorite Toilet Cleaner

• 1 cup of citric acid (as a dry powder)
• 1 cup of baking soda

If you aren't familiar with citric acid, it's a mild acid that is found in fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits get their name from this compound; fruit like lemons and limes are the best natural source of it. Citric acid is also a natural water softener. You can often find it at a bulk food store - or a drug store. Of course, many online retailers will carry it - and you can buy in bulk, which saves packaging and money!

Keep your ingredients for this cleaner in separate containers until you are ready to get to work. Then put about 3-4 tablespoons of each in the toilet. Once you put the second ingredient in, the combination will start to foam.

You might even think that it's going to overflow - but that should not happen unless you use too much each ingredient! If it does foam too much, use your toilet brush to keep the water in the toilet moving as this will also keep the foam from coming over the lip of the toilet.

Let this mixture bubble for a bit. You can start to scrub while it's bubbling, if you like! Once it settles down completely, your toilet should need a minimum of scrubbing (because the mixture will have removed a lot of the dirt without muscle). It should also be free of bacteria and germs.

This is a very safe and effective cleaner that you could even use to soften your skin! The difference between what you do in a bath and what you do to clean is all about the amount of the solution that you use. You can make lovely scented bath balm for your next tub with the same combination of citric acid and baking soda - the same amounts in a whole bath - with the addition of a couple drops essential oil of your choice. For a relaxing evening bath, try a few drops of lavender.

Non toxic cleaning kit

More non-toxic cleaner recipes

Vinegar's amazing cleaning powers