The benefits of going green are obvious—after all, this is the only Earth we have and it’s up to us to treat it, and ourselves, right. But when it comes to cleaning your home, how do you strike a balance between products that are harmless to the environment but tough on stains? “Sometimes you don’t have to hit the ant with a sledgehammer,” says Urvashi Rangan, PhD, an environmental scientist and the project director for Consumer Reports’ web site www.GreenerChoices.org. “Natural ingredients can be really powerful when used in the right way, and you don’t have to worry about their toxicity around you, your family or your pet,” Rangan says, noting that many household cleaners contain harsh chemicals that can irritate skin and eyes.

How do you pick a safe product? Dale Kemery, a spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says to look for the Design for the Environment (DfE) label on products. “When you see the DfE logo on a product it means that the DfE scientific review team has screened each ingredient for potential human health and environmental effects and that, based on the most reliable currently available information, EPA predictive models and expert judgment, the product contains only those ingredients that pose the least concern among chemicals in their class,” he says.

This means “you do not need chlorine bleach-based products in the home, period. By bringing those into the home, you cause more problems for your children,” says Deidre Imus, president of the Deidre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology and author of Green This!: Greening Your Cleaning. “Chlorine is a low-lying gas so your child is breathing it at a much higher concentration than an adult would.”

You may find that many companies that manufacture cleaners don’t disclose their ingredients on their packaging, “so you can’t do the homework or verification,” explains Dr. Rangan. Claims like “natural” or “plant-derived,” therefore, can have little meaning. Dr. Rangan recommends products from manufacturers like Seventh Generation or Method, which disclose product ingredients and manufacturing processes. “Better yet, make your own green cleaners,” she says.

Bathroom
Hidden Dirty Spot: “The bathtub is probably the dirtiest place in the house,” Imus says. Fill the tub with hot water and add 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar. Take a brush or a cloth to provide friction to clean the tub.

Window Cleaner: Mix 3 tablespoons vinegar per 1 quart water in a spray bottle.

Tub and Tile: 1 2/3 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup non-chemical liquid soap, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons vinegar (add last so it doesn’t react with the baking soda). Immediately apply, scrub and wipe.

Dining Room
Wood Cleaner: 1/8 cup linseed soap or vegetable-oil soap, 1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar or lemon juice, 1/2 cup fragrant herb tea, 2 gallons warm water.

Kitchen
Hidden Dirty Spot: Wipe down coils on your refrigerator with a simple soap-and-water solution and place sponges in the dishwasher or cook in the microwave for 2 minutes to kill bacteria.

Living Room
Hidden Dirty Spot: A lot of dust accumulates on ceilings. Spray a nontoxic, all-purpose cleaner on a mop with a handle that extends. Go back and forth to wipe it down.

Air Freshener: 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice, 2 cups hot water. Mix ingredients in a spray bottle and spritz to remove odors.

Kitchen
All-Purpose Cleaner: 2 cups white distilled vinegar, 2 cups water, 30 or more drops of essential oil (optional).

Microwave Cleaner: 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons baking soda. Scrub on with a sponge and rinse.

Oven Cleaner: 1 cup baking soda 1/4 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate), enough water to make a paste. Apply to oven surfaces and soak overnight. Rinse well the following day.

Cleaning Copper Pans: Dip half of a fresh-cut lemon in salt and gently rub the tarnish in a circular motion until it disappears.

Bedroom
Hidden Dirty Spot: Replace filters in air conditioners and air purifiers regularly. They’ll make your products run more efficiently and for a longer time.