For a healthy home, consider using more natural cleaners. Most of us have an arsenal of chemicals in our home, and many of them have labels that warn “keep out of reach of chidren,” “harmful if swallowed,” or, the ever popular “avoid contact with skin.” Natural cleaners can do the job just as well, but without the harmful side effects.

Vinegar

Vinegar is a natural sanitizer and deodorizer. It has a multitude of uses as a natural cleaner. Do not worry that your home will start to smell like salad dressing if you clean with vinegar! Any odor dissipates within seconds, leaving nothing but a clean, fresh smell. Some uses for vinegar:

Use as a glass cleaner: Put a fifty-fifty solution of vinegar and water into a spray bottle. Spray vinegar solution on windows and wipe clean. If you use crumpled sheets of newspaper to wipe with, you will be left with a streak-free shine.

Clear minor clogs in drains: Put a couple tablespoons of baking soda (another natural cleaner) into a clogged drain, and follow up with a little bit of vinegar. The two will react to eachother, and will start fizzing. This fizzing action can clear up minor clogs. Follow up with some boiling water to remove any leftover clog residue, and you're all set.

Deodorize sink drains: Use the baking soda and vinegar trick, from above, even when you don't have clogs to make drains smell fresh.

Remove odors from the air: This is a weird trick, but it works. If you have any kind of stubborn, lingering odor, such as cigarette smoke, or cooking odors, and you want to get rid of them fast, pour some vinegar on a towel. It doesn't need to be soaking wet, just slightly damp. Swing the vinegar-laceed towel around in the smelly room, and the odors will disappear.

Lemon

Lemon juice is another natural sanitizer and deodorizer. Unlike vinegar, which will leave no scent, lemon has the advantage of leaving behind a clean, lemony aroma.

Uses for lemons:

Clean and sanitize wood cutting boards: Cut a lemon in half, and push the cut end into some salt (yet another natural cleaner). Use the salted end of the lemon to sanitize wood cutting boards by rubbing it across the board. The abrasiveness of the salt will scour any impurities out of the wood, and the lemon juice will disinfect. After scouring, rinse with water and let dry.

Deodorize garbage disposals: Once a week, put a halved lemon into your garbage disposal, and let it run. It will deodorize and disinfect it.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and mild abrasive. It has many, many uses in the home.

Uses for baking soda:

Deodorize rugs and carpets: Simply sprinkle baking soda onto the carpet, and let it sit for ten to fifteen minutes, then vacuum. The baking soda will absorb the odors, and when you vacuum it up, they'll be gone for good.

Clear clogs and deodorize drains (see above, under vinegar.)

Use as an alternative to scouring powders: Instead of cleanser that you buy in a can and shake out to clean your tubs and sinks, try baking soda. It is mildly abrasive, and will take care of any stubborn grime. Baking soda is also perfect for cleaning electric cooktops, as it won't scratch the finish.

Oven cleaner: Make a paste out of baking soda and water, and apply it to tough, stuck—on grime in your oven. Let it sit for ten minutes, then wipe clean. To clean the less-stubborn parts of the oven, simply combine it with a little vinegar, and use the “foam” the results as a cleaner.

So, there you have it: glass cleaner, clog remover, drain and disposal deodorizers, cutting board sanitizer, sink and tub cleaner, oven cleaner, carpet deodorizer.....all from three inexpensive, natural products.