When it comes to green cleaning products you obviously want a  non toxic cleaner for your home.  Some of the green cleaners are easy to make with ingredients you probably already have on hand.  Just a few basic items are all you need to clean safely and completely.  You can even make flea powder for your pets in a natural way.

Vinegar is a neutralizer.  If you want to maintain the color of your clothing, add some vinegar to the wash water to set the dye.  With the addition of some lemon juice you have a powerful acid to dissolve hard water stains, tarnish, grimey build up and dull surfaces on wood.

Washing soda is an old fashioned product found in hardware stores.  It is similar to baking soda but with a higher pH factor.  Washing soda is sodium carbonate and offers no fumes with use.  You should wear rubber gloves when handling this product which does a great job on cutting grease stains like lipstick, petroleum products, softened candle wax and kitchen grease.

Washing soda should not be used on aluminum or fiberglass and should only be used on waxed floors if it is your intention to remove the wax.

Baking soda is like a cousin to washing soda.  It is made from soda ash and it neutralizes odors in refrigerators, water and air.  You can use baking soda to remove green scum from a flower vase.  If you sprinkle baking soda on a sponge it is an effective abrasive cleaner for bathtubs, kitchen counters, ovens and boats and fenders made of fiberglass.

Add ½ cup baking soda to the washing machine and you will find it neutralizes underarm odors in the clothing.  Sprinkle some on your carpets before vacuuming to freshen both the carpet and the vacuum cleaner bag.

Liquid detergent and other soaps are another non toxic cleaner, especially for grease.  Fat and lye are the ingredients in soap.  Liquid soap purchased in a health food store is adequate if you have soft water in your area.  If you have hard water, detergent is a better bet.

Detergent is made from synthetic chemicals and was uncommon before the 19th century.  They’re beneficial for not reacting with hard water to create soap scum.

Soap is a good disinfectant.  To add fragrance to the air while you clean, add 20 drops of essential oil to one quart of warm water.  Tee tree oil works well on mildew and mold and is a natural fungicide.  Tee tree oil can be irritating to the eyes so be sure to avoid contact with the face as you mix your natural disinfectant and mildicide.

To clean your family pet and repel fleas at the same time, combine 1 teaspoon dried fennel, 1 teaspoon pennyroyal and 1 teaspoon dried eucalyptus with one cup cornstarch.  Grind all ingredients and place in a jar.  Sprinkle on your pet and comb into fur.  It takes about 15 minutes for the mixture to permeate the skin.  The remaining product can be stored in the jar indefinitely however it will lose its potency in one month.

Essential oils make an excellent tick repellent.  Rose geranium, bay, eucalyptus, pennyroyal, lavender, rosemary and lemon balm all work to keep ticks at bay.  If you are pregnant, take care not to come into contact with pennyroyal.

Bug repellents cause much concern, especially for parents who don’t want to harm their children.  Try eating more garlic, leeks, onions and chives.  These get processed through the skin and have an unpleasant taste for mosquitoes and other flying pests.

Avoid using lavender soap when you go outdoors.  The floral nature of this non toxic cleaner will attract bees.  We invite your comments if you have some favorite green cleaning products that you would like to share with our readers, we would love to hear from you via the comments tab.