The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that concentrations of certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are 2 to 5 times higher inside your home than in outdoor air, and that use of conventional household chemicals contribute to poor indoor air quality.  Chemicals in conventional household cleaners can cause allergic type reactions, some are known to cause cancer in people or animals, and some are associated with reproductive harm.  One way to avoid these chemicals is to make your own homemade cleaners.  I clean most of my house with baking soda, water, lemon, salt and castile soap.  For a simple soft scrub, I add baking soda to a cleaned out squirt bottle (like a catsup bottle), and put in castile soap (liquid vegetable based soap) to make the texture I like (a little runny).  If I'm making some to store, I add a teaspoon of vegetable glycerin.  I use Dr. Bronner's rose scented castile soap because I like the scent, but you can a couple of drops of an essential oil if you use plain castile soap.  Use this to clean sinks, tile, counter tops, etc.  To clean the microwave, just add a few slices of lemon to a cup of water in a microwave safe cup, heat on high for 3 minutes, let sit for 3 minutes, and wipe clean.  VInegar and water (usually one to one ratio) work well for cleaning too, especially floors.  There are lots of great homemade cleaning recipes available on the web.  Just keep in mind that you should not use vinegar on granite or natural stone.  Also, never mix an acid like vinegar with bleach.  I don't recommend using bleach, in fact, I recommend skipping chlorine products, but if you .... Read More