Free of harsh chemicals, household items such as borax, vinegar and baking soda are earth-friendly choices for cleaning.

Information about homemade environmentally friendly cleaners is found in Bridget Bodoano’s The Little Book of Quick Fixes for Eco-Conscious Cleaning (Quadrille Publishing Ltd.). The author’s green-cleaning chemistry set includes vinegar for getting rid of lime scale, lemon juice for removing grease and for disinfecting, baking soda for all-around cleaning, borax for bleaching and deodorizing, and sodium carbonate (washing soda) for stain removal. She even suggests using baby oil to wash streaks off stainless steel appliances.

However, if cleaning the “old-fashioned” way is not for you, then try one of the many eco-friendly cleaners on the market. “We use cleaning products every day, and it is important that people make the right choice when buying green products,” says Santosh Rao, owner of Natural Territory, an eco-minded retailer in Scottsdale.

Environmentally conscious products are available for cleaning toilet bowls, stainless steel appliances, windows, glass and for doing laundry. A new green dryer sheet made with soy instead of harsh chemicals is now available as well; it is manufactured in Tempe by Mountain Green.

What to Look For
• Locally made items: Locally manufactured goods support the community and reduce the amount of fossil fuels used for transportation.
• Natural or biodegradable ingredients: Coconut oil, corn, water and plant-based derivatives are good indicators that a product is green.
• Consumer information: To find out what ingredients a cleaner contains and how to use it properly, read labels and Web sites, and look for the Green Seal of Approval or the EcoLogo. “A very reputable Web site for more information is thegreenguide.com,” says business owner Santosh Rao.

What to Avoid
• Warning labels: “Beware of products with disclosures that include the words warning, danger, caution—these quite often are found on the labels of the more traditional cleaning products,” notes Angela Thornton, president of Earth Maids Inc., an eco-friendly house-cleaning service based in Chandler, Arizona.
• Large amounts of petrochemicals: Avoid products that have petrochemicals listed as ingredients. According to thegreenguide.com, this blend of petroleum and chemicals emits VOCs and is widely considered to cause health problems. The Web site points out that some eco-conscious cleaners may have small amounts of a petroleum-derived ingredient mixed with plant-based materials, and suggests sticking to entirely vegetable-derived products or homemade cleaners if you want to avoid petrochemicals altogether.
• Misuse of products: Most people do not know how to apply disinfectants correctly, says author Linda Cobb, noting that a cleaner must be left on a surface for at least 10 minutes in order to kill germs.

Where To Find It
• Specialty stores: Green cleaning products can be found at specialty grocery stores, including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Sunflower Farmers Market. Brand-name lines of green cleaners can be purchased wherever cleaning products are sold.
• Green retailers: Several Phoenix-area retailers, including a.k.a. Green, EcoClean, and Natural Territory, carry green cleaners.
• Local manufacturers: Companies such as Chandler-based Homeology (begreencleanblue.com) and Tempe-based Mountain Green (mountaingreen.biz) produce items that can be ordered online.