Other safe cleaning ideas

Here are a few other tips we use around here that are non-toxic:

1. Use baking soda in place of Cameo/Bartender's/whatever your scrubber is. I use it on our stainless steel pans to clean them up regularly. Use it for anything you need a little extra scrubbing action on. Be careful on marble or things like that. Don't use it on a surface that you wouldn't use those other scrubbers on. We don't have things like marble around here :)
2. Use fresh citrus to clean your garbage disposal. Whenever we use lemons to cook or eat a grapefruit, we put it down the disposal. Cleans it up and smells WONDERFUL!
3. Use Hydrogen Peroxide to whiten your whites. Use a cup or so of Peroxide in place of bleach. Use it just as you would use bleach by putting it in the bleach compartment on your washer. Don't pour it directly on clothes. Also, don't use it if you're using vinegar in your Downy ball. The combination of them can create a mildly-powerful acid. Just alternate using vinegar one wash and Hydrogen Peroxide the next. Also, always leave the Hydrogen Peroxide in the bottle it comes in. It's one of those things that will break down if exposed to light (hence the brown bottle!).
4. See the bottom of the blog page for how to make a simple detergent using Borax, Washing Soda, & Fels Naptha. (2 words: CHEAP. WORKS.) Okay, a few more words: No petroleum is involved!
5. If you haven't already, get a steam mop. They're expensive up front ($70-$90) but wow, do they save money in the long run. Especially if you are using one of those sprayer mops with disposable pads and cleaners you have to replace all the time! These mops come with re-usable pads that you wash in the washing machine. The steam works on pretty much all floor types. We use the Shark mop, but there may be other out there. We love it!
6. Another option for cleaning windows: rubbing alcohol & water. Give it a wag on the mixture and put it in a spray bottle. You can try a 1:1 ratio to start. Cuts through grease and the grime the commercial window cleaners leave behind and creates streak-free windows. If I'm out of vinegar, I mix this up and use it instead. Both work wonderfully!

Okay, that's all I can think of that we use off the top of my head. I'll add more if I think of others or if we find any new ideas that work!