Did you know that many of the cleaning products you use to rid your home of germs and bacteria could actually be leaving behind harmful toxins with every swipe? According to Ivillage.com, you can actually get the job done just as effectively with five eco-friendly alternatives that are probably already in your cupboard.

White Vinegar
For basic household cleaning, distilled white vinegar has been proven to work just as well as chlorine, which kills everything living--the good along with the bad. Vinegar is great at removing stains, dissolving mineral deposits and grease, removing soap and wax buildup, polishing some metals, and deodorizing almost every room in your house.

Tips
- To clean soap scum off a tub or shower stall, apply hot vinegar with a sponge or rag, then scrub hard with a stiff-bristled scrub brush.
- For a DIY dusting formula, add a few drops of olive oil to 1/4 cup vinegar. Dampen your dust cloth with the solution.
- To mop the floor, fill a bucket with hot water, 1 cup vinegar, and a drop of dish liquid or Murphy Oil Soap.

Baking Soda
Baking soda is useful in every room in your home. It can neutralize acid, scrub shiny material without scratching, unclog and clear drains, extinguish grease fires, and remove certain stains. It can also be used to deodorize your refrigerator, carpets and upholstery.

Tips
- Clean greasy stove rings and drip pans by putting them in a large stock pot and submerging them in a solution of 1/2 cup baking soda per gallon of water.
- If your kitchen or bathroom drain begins to smell or slow down, pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain and chase it with 1 cup vinegar. When the fizzing stops, pour down a kettleful of boiling water.
- To remove hardened crust from a pot or pan, fill it with a solution of 2 tablespoons baking soda per quart of water, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool. The crust will lift right off.

Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a natural odor-eater that combines well with other ingredients. It can be used to clean glass and remove stains from aluminum, copper, clothing and porcelain, and nothing works better on Formica surfaces. If used with sunlight, lemon juice is a mild lightener or bleach.

Tips
- To soften hardened food spills, put some lemon juice in a cup of water and boil it in the microwave. Let the boiling water sit for a few minutes before you take it out. Then wipe the interior of the microwave with a sudsy rag, rinse with a clean wet rag, and wipe dry.
- For furniture oil, mix one part lemon juice with one part olive oil. Mix in a blender or shake vigorously, then apply sparingly. If the mixture begins to separate, shake it up again before applying. Let the mixture soak into the wood for a few minutes, then wipe dry with a clean soft cloth.

Table Salt
Table salt is great at removing rust. Mixed with lemon juice, it can clean copper; mixed with vinegar, it can polish brass. Salt is also a key ingredient in an effective, all-natural scouring powder.

Tips
- Clean coffeepots and percolators by filling them with water, adding 4 tablespoons salt, then bringing the water to a boil. Let the water sit and cool, then pour it out and rinse well.
- Remove rust from tinware by rubbing it with a peeled potato dipped in salt.
- To loosen dirt and kill flea and moth eggs in carpet, sprinkle with salt, work it into the nap with a stiff broom, them vacuum it up.

Essential Oils
Essential oils can eat up odors from cooking, mold, mildew, airborne microorganisms and other everyday pollutants that enter the home. Some have powerful disinfecting properties as well; the pressed oils of oregano, basil, clove and thyme in particular are highly antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.  There are hundreds of different essential oils to choose from. Buy preblended oils, or just experiment with different combinations. Ask at your local health food store for therapeutic-grade oils, and remember, a few drops go a long way.

Tips:
- Douse cotton balls with your favorite oils, and place them in the air vents of your home.
- Place a damp cloth with a few drops of oil on or near the intake duct of your heating and cooling system.
- Make your own potpourri by adding essential oils to cedar chips.
- Place a bowl of water and a few drops of your favorite oil on a wood stove.