Keeping our homes clean has become easier and less time consuming with the plethora of products on the market today. With the variety of sprays, jets, foams and wipes, we are now beginning to question just how harmful these products can be to our overall health and the health of our families.

With the rise in respiratory illness and allergies, we need to be cautious of what we bring into our homes. Highly caustic cleaners may be effective but at what price? But there is another way.

By taking a page from our parents and grandparents, we can prepare homemade cleaning products that are relatively easy, effective and most importantly are safe for every member of the family. For the price of just one store bought cleaner, we can clean your entire home in environmentally friendly way for a fraction of the cost.

Open Your Cupboards

Common staples that we typically have on our own shelves have a multitude of purposes and can be utilized for just about any cleaning problem we may come across. These are the top three that most everyone has on hand.

Vinegar is by far the best natural cleaning agent for almost any problem. Simply mix equal parts vinegar and water, and you have a great cleaning agent for:

• Cutting grease and grime

• Removing hard water and soap buildup

• Cleaning windows and stainless steel

• Ceramic tiles

• Cleaning fine crystal

• Removing odors on contact and as a room deodorizer when left out for several hours

Lemon juice is another in the top three when it comes to a no nonsense cleaner. Using the undiluted juice, it's high acidic properties are effective in:

• Removing hard water and soap buildup

• Removing stains from sinks and counter tops

• Cleaning brass and copper

• A natural deodorizer for fridges and other closed containers

• A natural insect repellant

• Cleaning wood surfaces removing stains and polishing furniture when mixed with Olive oil

Baking soda is the third most popular staple to have on hand for cleaning. Used as a paste, diluted or on its own, it is a mild abrasive great for:

• Removing tarnish from silver, brass and gold when used as a paste

• A deodorizer sprinkled over carpets and upholstery before vacuuming

• A drain cleaner when mixed with vinegar

• Removing odors from fridges and other closed containers

• Cleaning teeth and dentures as a paste and as a mouthwash when diluted

• Removing burnt food from pots

So much more

All of these products can be used for cleaning and maintaining every part of your home. They can be also be used to keep your appliances running smoothly by running a solution of vinegar, or baking soda through a cycle of your coffee pot, dishwasher or washing machine. Vegetable oil can lessen squeaky hinges and condition wood.

As a stain remover baking soda removes residual oil from clothing, and added to your washing detergent can boost its cleaning power naturally. Lemon juices can help bleach stains out of your white clothing. And diluted vinegar removes salt stains from your winter foot wear.

There are so many applications where we can use natural products for a clean house for very little money. Check your local library or search the web for old tried and true solutions to your everyday cleaning needs. You will be surprised just how much you can tackle with what you already have on hand.