There are two types of environmentally friendly cleaners: ones you make, and ones you buy. Ones you make are easier to find, but ones you buy are also now easy to find. Due to consumer demand, green cleaners are appearing in your local grocery and drugstore.

Green cleaners you make yourself
If the idea of making your own cleaners has you envisioning some mad apothecary hunched over a bubbling cauldron of goo, rest easy. The easiest way to make cleaners is to not mix anything. These are lots of recipes for homemade cleaners, and if you are so inclined, go for it. The rest of us will use baking soda and vinegar. Do not mix them together; you’ll create a grade-school science project!

Baking soda is your scouring powder. Scrub off dried on goop with it. Add it to your laundry as a fabric softener. Use it a carpet deodorizer. Dump it down your drain. Use it to soak up grease and anywhere there’s a bad smell. If you must mix, mix it with water to create a cleaning paste.

Vinegar is your liquid cleaner. It shines stainless steel better than any commercial product you can buy. Plastics were first used to contain acids, so acids like vinegar clean anything plastic better than base cleaners like ammonia and bleach. Mix it with water to clean glass: but realize that tge first time you use it on your windows the vinegar will be removing the film left behind by other cleaners. Until this film is completely removed, your windows may streak. But vinegar will leave your windows streak-free.

Green cleaners you buy
There are a variety of green cleaners available on the market. Read the warnings carefully: some conventional cleaners are masquerading as green cleaners in order to take advantage of the demand for green cleaners. For instance, citrus and orange oil are green cleaners. But not all cleaners with orange oil are environmentally friendly.

Seventh Generation makes some of the best environmentally-friendly cleaners on the market. Their Citrus Cleaner and Degreaser is amazing. I actually like cleaning the stove now: watching it dissolve cooked on grease and tomato sauce is fun. Seventh Generation’s Carpet Cleaner works better on old carpet stains and pet messes than any conventional product I have ever found. Also try their dish cleaners, and paper products.

Ecos is another trusted brand. I love their laundry detergent. Ecover makes my favorite stain remover. They also have great dish cleaning products.

Green cleaners can be found at your local grocery or drug store. If not, ask for them! Every national chain carries at east one of these brands, so your local buyer can easily get them from you. I have found Seventh Generation in small-chain grocery stores, so even if you shop at small local businesses only, they should be able to find them for you. As a last resort, checkout websites like http://www.gaiam.com/ and http://www.greenhome.com/ and order your cleaners over the web.