Raid your pantry for nontoxic cleaners

Conventional cleaning products can contain some of the most toxic chemicals in your home. Luckily, there are plenty of alternative cleaning products that work well and are widely available.

Your greenest and cheapest option, though, is to use some of the same ingredients your grandmother used to keep her home spic and span.

Many of the staples listed below can be used alone or mixed with some water so you don't need to follow any complicated recipes to achieve a homemade feel.

Here's a list of ingredients you probably already have:

• It's well-known that baking soda absorbs odors. Keep an open box in your fridge, or sprinkle some on your carpet and then vacuum it up to deodorize. It's also an effective scouring powder. Pour some on a damp sponge and scrub sinks, bathtubs, counters, and more. Add a little liquid soap for a super scouring powder.


• Distilled white vinegar helps kill germs and break up dirt. Mix it with water to clean your windows or floors. (For windows, mix 3 tablespoons of vinegar with 3 cups of water. Add a couple of drops of liquid soap, spray windows, and use crinkled newspaper to wipe up). Or use a half-cup of vinegar in your washer to reduce static cling so you don't have to bother with fabric softener or dryer sheets.


• Use lemon juice to cut grease, remove stains, or clean windows.  


• Polish wood furniture with olive or walnut oils.


• Hydrogen peroxide removes stains, disinfects, and bleaches.

Next time you're at the grocery store considering adding these items to your cart:

• Borax is commonly used as a laundry booster, but it can also disinfect, bleach, and deodorize. For an all-purpose cleaner, mix 2 tablespoons of borax with 4 cups of warm water. 


• Liquid soap (also known as castile soap) can be a bit pricey, but a little goes a long way. Dilute it with water for an instant all-purpose cleaner. Make a paste with baking soda to scrub sink sand bathtubs. Add some to vinegar and water to clean dirty windows. 


• Adding a few drops of an essential oil can give your homemade cleaners a nice scent and, in some cases, an added boost. For example, lavender, tea tree, thyme, and eucalyptus oils can help disinfect.

For more green cleaning recipes visit Healthy Child Healthy World, The Daily Green, and Consumer Reports.

One more tip that's good for the planet and your budget: Cut up old T-shirts and towels to use as rags for cleaning instead of using throw-away wipes and paper towels. It's a great way to reduce waste and save money. Plus, cloth is softer than paper, so these rags are ideal for cleaning breakables.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.