In our day and age, we are being constantly bombarded with news about how the ozone layer is disappearing, our land and waters are being polluted, our resources are dwindling.... It can get a little over-whelming, no? For some of us, our hearts are in the right place, but our means are not. So, we recycle, we turn off lights and appliances when we aren't in using them, we all do our little bit. The grocery stores offer a growing selection of alternatives in household goods, foods, cleaning chemicals, lightbulbs. It's true that there are little shops that cater specifically to the growing environmental concern, but let's face it: many average families can not afford the prices they charge. And so, they go to grocery stores, they buy the usual suspects: the stuff filled with chemicals, preservatives, genetically modified ingredients, the carcinogens, etc, thinking it is better than having a filthy house.
In terms of household cleaners, perhaps they ARE better than nothing, but only marginally so. The stuff you find in your cupboards is far better than the stuff you usually see at the stores, cost-wise, and every bit as good at getting the dirt off.
Perhaps, though, you have a cupboard filled with standard general cleaners, window cleaners, degreasers, carpet spot-removers, something to deal with soap scum, some kind of chlorine bleach, throw-away dusters, aerosol polishes, and so on. Perhaps, being like millions of other people out there, you can not afford to dispose of all these and start fresh with better options. This is where the baby steps come in.

We can not always make drastic changes all at once. Especially not with a limited budget. I don't know about you, but I could never justify disposing of a half-full bottle of cleaner, when it cost me $5-10 in the first place. Baby steps. When you run out of your standard store-bought cleaners, you replace it with a more cost-effective, environmentally friendly method. Bit by bit, your cupboard becomes non-toxic. Bit by bit, your cupboard becomes safe enough for even a child.

In this blog, I will offer homemade recipes for every housekeeping job out there. I will also critique the more readily-available 'green' option cleaners available at the stores, in terms of effectiveness and over-all cost, for those of you who are still looking for better options but are perhaps not comfortable with using the stuff you have in your pantry.

Since I am also in the process of creating a recipe book for homemade cleaners, I encourage all of you to submit your own little tricks and recipes, along with permission to print these (at your choice) and information on who to credit. I intend to give mention to everybody who contributes, if they wish, or the contributors may also remain anonymous.

In addition, of course, I encourage any kind of constructive commentary.

Be healthy, all! This is Frugal Fanny, saying 'until another day'.