The Nitty-Gritty of Staying Healthy

If you're like me, you grew up cleaning the house with ammonia, bleach, harsh scrubs, neon-colored liquid cleaners and sprays.  And the radioactive smell of it when you finished was proof of how clean your house was, right?  Well that was then.  Now I have a baby crawling around the floors and putting everything, EVERYTHING, in her mouth.  My toddler spends years in the bathtub, water below freezing, playing sharks and boats.  We have a dog who's tic is licking the floors and cabinets, and pillows, and couches.  My husband, gasp, likes to clean.  Since having my two children, harsh smells give me migraines (bye bye scented candles).

So basically I can't use harsh chemicals in my home.  It's just not safe.  We Green Clean.

What do I use?  Personally I'm a big fan of the Method brand of cleaners and soaps.  Sometimes I feel like it needs to come in a prepackaged bottle to clean the toilet well.  But I also make our laundry detergent (did I mention Husband and both kids all have sensitive skin).  Our clothes are just as clean, and smell fresher, than when we used Gain or Tide or whatever.  The detergent is a blend of Borax, generic Oxyclean, Arm and Hammer Washing Powder, and some shaved Fels-Naptha soap.  That's it.  Seriously.

If you're interested in this new trend, Apartment Therapy has compiled a great list of Green Cleaning "recipes" and they mostly require baking soda, salt, lemon, borax, and a spray bottle and scrub brush.  Your house will smell clean, be clean, and you won't have to go to the hospital for breathing toxic fumes.  PLUS, these cleaners are safe for older kids to use and "help" out with the chores.  

What's your favorite Green Cleaning recipe or product?