According to the Children's Health Environmental Coalition, the average American home has 3-10 gallons of hazardous materials laying about.  In 1993, 1.8 million human poisonings were reported to the poison control centers in the U.S. Ninety-two percent of the poisonings took place in the home and 60% of the cases involved children under the age of five. Many household chemicals may cause subtle and longterm health effects such as cancer, birth defects, liver damage, or nervous system damage. (see links below).  In virtually all cases, these hazards are unnecessary and avoidable.  Many non-toxic products are now on the market, and you can make your own simple cleaners using the recipes listed below.

Homemade Non-Toxic Household Cleaners

Tub, Tile and Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Mix 1 2/3 cups baking soda with 1/2 cup of non-toxic liquid soap in a bowl. Dilute with 1/2 cup water. Add 2 tbsp. white distilled vinegar. Stir with a fork until the lumps are gone. Keep the cap on, because this mixture will dry out. Shake well before using.   Skip the baking soda to protect scratchable acrylic tubs.

Use one part white distilled vinegar and three parts olive oil to polish your furniture. Add a little natural lemon oil (not the synthetic kind) for a nice aroma. 

Plain club soda is a great glass cleaner and won't hurt your lungs.

Another window cleaner uses 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent, 3 tablespoons vinegar and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle.  Shake well before using.

Sprinkle a little bit of salt on the rust, squeeze a lime over the salt until it is soaked in lime juice. Leave the mixture on for two or three hours. Use the leftover rind as a scrubber. Rust is gone. 

Soak the tarnished brass in household vinegar, then rub the stain off.

Rub a damp cloth over a bar of plain Ivory soap and apply it directly to the kitchen grease spot.  The grease should dissolve off easily.

Distilled white vinegar is a natural disinfectant.  The plain 5% acid vinegar, found by the gallon in any supermarket, is very effective at killing bacteria.   Keep it handy in a squirt bottle, for cleaning kitchen counters, cutting boards and other surfaces.

Uses 1 cup or more of baking soda.  Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the bottom with enough baking soda to make the surface white. Sprinkle some more water over the top and let the mixture set overnight. The grease should easily wipe off the next morning. because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a little liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. 

Use 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil in two cups of water.  Put in a spray bottle and shake before using.  Spray on problem areas and let soak. The oil has a strong scent, but it will dissipate in a few days.  The spray can be stored for reuse again later.

• Safe Substitutes at Home: Non-toxic Household Products

http://es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/safe-fs.html

• Household Products Database - National Institute of Health

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/products.htm
 
• Toxic Household Products - Environmental Media Services

http://www.ems.org/household_cleaners/household_toxics.html

• Introduction to Toxic Chemical Hazards
• PCB Contamination of the Fox River and Green Bay
• Newsletter Articles about Toxic Chemicals - by Clean Water Action Council
• Links to More Toxic Chemical Information