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I hold my breath and jog the cart down the grocery store's cleaning aisle. I'm so glad that I only have to snatch a packet of rubber gloves from a bin before moving on. The strong chemical smell from the closed containers is almost unbearable, and I offer up a brief thanks that I don't need any of those products.

I grew up with the usual brands of conventional cleaners, and used those most of my adult life. I only switched to versions that are more natural because a friend started selling them wholesale. Then one day when Niya was just beginning to crawl, I turned to see her chubby hand grasp the bottle of bathroom tile cleaner I was sure I had placed out of reach. It wasn't until that moment that I began to wonder exactly what was in those cleaners. Our friend Theresa stopped over for a visit and I asked her which natural brands she thought were safest for children. "I don't know," was her smiling response. "I clean with baking soda and vinegar." Cash-strapped in our one-income home, my mind did a quick tally of the number of products I stocked for cleaning. "That's it?" I asked, still not quite able to grasp the implications.

And that was it. One by one I used up or gave away the products we had in stock. I bought a couple of spray bottles, a gallon of white vinegar and a big box of baking soda. Without the need to barricade our baby for safety, cleaning felt less rushed — it was something I did with her, at our own pace. As she got older, she got her own tub of water and sponge to "work" with. Now both of our girls join in the fun, sometimes getting inspired to initiate their own cleaning projects. Well, sometimes...

Cleaning can be surface-specific, and there are scores of natural cleaning recipes. I enjoyed Karen Logan's Clean House, Clean Planet as a source of detailed recipes for different surfaces. She also had sug-gestions for the best containers to use to store the various mixes. Over the years, I've found that the right set-up keeps me on the path of least resistance when I'm making a change. If it's handy and it's easy, I'll do it. Set yourself up with easy-to-dispense containers stored near the areas you clean most. Remember to label all cleaning containers so they aren't mistaken for food or drinks, regardless of their nontoxic contents.

Our overriding goals now are safety and simplicity. It only takes five minutes in a closed room with conventional cleaners to experience the amount of harm they can cause. Passing that damage on to the earth and other plants and creatures makes even less sense. The studies on these chemicals are irrefutable and you've probably already heard them. Try these cleaning recipes and see how your health, household and budget respond.

We'll all be breathing a little easier...

Great Glass

• 1 part white distilled vinegar
• 1 part water

Vinegar is an all-purpose natural cleaner. It deodorizes, helps prevent mold and mildew and dissolves soap residue. Vinegar and water will leave your glass gleaming.

To mix and clean: Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle, spray directly onto your mirror or glass surface and wipe clean. If the glass is extremely dirty or oily, use a bit of liquid soap and water on a cloth first, then finish with your vinegar-and-water spray.

Sparkling Spray: all-purpose cleaner for floors and surfaces

• 1 part white distilled vinegar
• 1 part water
• essential oil for fragrance (10 - 15 drops for a 16-ounce bottle of spray)

Logan's suggestion in Clean House, Clean Planet to add a bit of essential oil to this familiar mix made a definite difference in the quality of our cleaning experience. Though I've always liked the clean that I get with vinegar and water, adding a scent lifted my spirits and left the bathroom and kitchen smelling wonderful. Try peppermint oil for a stimulating, refreshing scent. Tea tree oil — a non-irritating antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal — is an excellent choice for germy environments like the bathroom. We use Aura Cacia essential oils; you can find them at your local health food store.

To mix and clean: Mix ingredients in a spray bottle and spray onto a mop head, cloth or directly onto a surface. Scrub, mop or wipe clean.

Simple Scrub: all-purpose scrub for bathroom and kitchen floors and surfaces

• baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
• essential oil for fragrance (10 - 15 drops for a small box)

Baking soda is a naturally mild abrasive that absorbs odors and cuts grease. It is good for scrubbing off the bathtub ring, and for toilets, tile, linoleum and all kinds of surfaces. On its own or with an essential oil for fragrance, we rely on this scrub throughout the house.

To mix and clean: Add essential oil drops to a container of baking soda and shake to mix the oil. Sprinkle baking soda onto any surface, scrub or wipe clean with a wet sponge and rinse well.

At first, we used Tupperware for our baking soda container. But when the girls "helped" with the cleaning, I'd find hands deep in the container and baking soda covering the floor in piles. We found an old plastic bottle with dual flip tops. One side has holes for shaking and the other has an open spout for pouring. Shaking is more fun for kid helpers and makes it easier to spread evenly and sparingly. The less baking soda you use, the less rinsing you will do, saving time and water.

Serious Scrub: extra-strength scrub for bathroom and kitchen floors and surfaces
* adapted from Clean House, Clean Planet

• 3 parts baking soda
• 1 part liquid soap
• 1 part water
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar per cup of mixture

Liquid soap removes dirt by dissolving the oil that holds the dirt in place. Originally, we picked up Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds for washing fruits and vegetables, and then discovered that it was an effective all-purpose cleaning soap. Its natural pine scent and easy rinsing make it an excellent soap for this mix.

To mix and clean: Mix baking soda, liquid soap and water in a bowl. Add the vinegar last so that it doesn't dissolve the soap. Start out with a teaspoon of vinegar and keep adding until the mixture pours fairly easily into a squirt bottle. Close the lid tightly between uses to keep it from drying out. A little mix goes a long way; so try one small squirt on your sponge to save excessive rinsing. For tough grime, coat the cleaning area and let it set for an hour before scrubbing.

Wonderful Wood

• 1 part white distilled vinegar
• 1 part water
• 1 teaspoon liquid soap per 16-ounce bottle (optional - for stubborn dirt and grease)

A wood floor will keep its luster longer if swept clean of the little bits of dirt that tend to grind in and scratch its surface; use a fine broom and sweep regularly. Fine woodworker Derrick Burke (see July 2004) recommends taking your shoes off before striding across that beautiful surface. Derrick also suggests heating up a kettle of water, "to make the cleaning mixture more reactive and markedly speed up the process of removing grime." Pour the boiling water on the terry mop cover, wring it out and then spray on the vinegar and water. He says that a few drops of essential oil for fragrance would be a great addition to our recipe and will not harm the floor.

To mix and clean: Mix ingredients in a spray bottle and spray onto a mop head or cloth. Mop or wipe clean. Make sure your wood floor is completely dry to avoid water marks or other damage. On an extremely grimy wood floor, try a little bit of liquid soap and water first and then finish with the vinegar and water.

If you'd rather pick up your supplies from the store ready to use, here are some of the cleaning manufacturers we like best: Heather's Natural and Organic Cleaning Products, Bi-O-Kleen and Seventh Generation. Each of these companies makes first-rate cleaning products and cares deeply about how their manufacturing processes affect the environment.

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