All you need is a spray bottle and some common household substances to make your own green cleaning supplies.

Think your home is green paradise free of toxins and pollutants? Think again.

According to the EPA, indoor air is around two to three times more polluted than outdoor air. In some cases, indoor air pollution can be up to 100 times worse than the great outdoors. Why, you ask? Much of it comes from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that evaporate from both furniture and cleaning products. The most common dangerous chemicals are methylene chloride based paint strippers, as well as furniture waxes, varnishes, volatile fuels and oils such as gasoline and kerosene and WD-40, dry cleaned clothes that smell of perchloroethylene, and cigarette smoke.

That’s right – Cleaning your home with products that contain dangerous VOCs can actually make it more toxic. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, homes were cleaned for centuries before today’s cleaners came along.

Want to do yourself and the environment a favor? Ditch the toxic cleaning supplies and go green with our complete guide to cleaning your home the green way.

DIY cleaners

There are plenty of designer label green cleaning products out there, but most will cost you an arm and leg. As it turns out, two of the best cleaning substances are probably already in your kitchen — vinegar and baking soda.

Vinegar and baking soda are two of the most versatile and powerful cleaners around. Mix either one with a bit of water and some liquid soap and you’ve got everything from window cleaner to a bathroom scrubber.

Another valuable compound is washing soda, also known as sodium carbonate. It’s not the same thing as baking soda, though the two are similar, and are often sold in similar packaging. But washing soda is alkaline compound that’s great for getting out stains. Put some in the mix and you have an almost limitless range of green cleaning possibilities.

Here are a few handy recipes:

General Purpose Cleaner

• ½ tsp washing soda
• 2 drops of liquid soap
• 2 cups hot tap water
• Combine in a spray bottle and shake until dissolved

Will keep indefinitely

Window Cleaner

• ¼-½ tsp liquid soap
• 3 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• Mix in a spray bottle

Will keep indefinitely. Presenting this recipe does not imply that regular window cleaner contains dangerous compounds, but that this is simply a known safe alternative.

Floor Cleaner

• one third white vinegar
• two thirds water

Make on an as-you-need-it basis

Bathroom Scrubber

Just make a paste with baking soda and a bit of water. Works wonder on mildew and tile grout. Substitute a bit of liquid soap instead of water and you’ve got a great bathtub cleaner that won’t leave any grit behind.

Make on an as-you-need-it basis

Fancier DIY cleaners

Most of the time, you won’t notice much of an odor at all with these home-brew cleaners. But if you miss the lemony fresh smell of your old toxic cleaners, never fear — you can make your own scented cleaners.

Just head to your local market and grab a few of your favorite essential oils. Drop a bit of lemon or orange oil (and we mean literally just a drop) in your mixes and you’ll have a nice, green, fresh-smelling cleaner. Should you opt for lavender oil, you’ll be getting a natural antiseptic. Although technically scented oils are volatile organic compounds, they are not typically considered a health risk.

Conclusion

There’s no need to spend huge sums of money buying cleaning products that actually make your home more toxic than it was before you started cleaning. Using time-tested cleaning recipes with simple, cheap ingredients like vinegar and baking soda will keep your house clean and green.