Green cleaning

Eco cleaning in the kitchen
There's only one cleaning agent that is 100 per cent toxin free and that's elbow grease, so buy some tough scourers and scrubbing brushes to make the job a little easier. For an all-purpose kitchen cleaner you can use on almost any work surface, mix up one part vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle. The vinegar works as a disinfectant, but should not be used on marble, and for chopping boards that have been in contact with raw meat you may feel safer using something stronger. For tough opponents like coffee, a mineral called borax or sodium borate, is the perfect natural cleaning solution. Mixed with eight parts water it will get to grips with most household stains, but use gloves as it is mildly toxic. An old-fashioned mop and bucket is greener than one of the newer designs with disposable pads or wipes as these are not easily bio-degradable. The faithful vinegar and water solution will do the trick for your floor tiles, but you can also buy floor cleaners from Ecover.

Green grime-busters for the bathroom
Get rid of limescale build-up on the shower by removing the head and leaving it to soak in a half water half vinegar solution for a few hours. Rinse thoroughly afterwards if you don't want to smell like a chip shop the next time you take a dip. Mix up a paste of two parts bicarbonate of soda to one part lemon juice and get to work on the shower doors, grouting and bath and basin. Allow it to work its magic for ten minutes or so before washing away. The lemon juice acts as a natural bleach as well as attacking the limescale with its acidity. A solution of diluted eco-friendly washing up liquid is perfect for cleaning the toilet cistern and seat, but you may want to lay your ethics to one side when it comes to the bowl. Die-hard environmentalists will steer clear of bleach and simply keep it clean with a toilet brush and neat vinegar to remove the limescale but you may decide this is a step too far.

Ethical cleaning for the whole home
Try to clean as often as possible with a dustpan and broom to keep vacuuming to a minimum and save electricity. Instead of using an aerosol furniture polish use beeswax or, alternatively, mix one cup of olive oil with half a cup of lemon juice in a spray bottle, shaking well before use. Banish the window spray and instead mix up one part vinegar to four parts water. Use a lint-free cloth to clean off any dirt and then polish off smears with scrunched-up newspaper. When doing the laundry, EcoBalls are an economical and eco-friendly alternative to washing powder as they are designed to last for 1,000 washes. They contain mineral salts which produce ionized oxygen and combined with the movement of the balls, shift dirt and grime away from your clothes. Soap nuts are another natural detergent, while half a cup of vinegar in every wash is the perfect fabric softener. There are a wealth of books on the topic of eco-cleaning, like Green Clean, by Linda Mason Hunter and Mikki Halpin, published by Andrews McMeel, £10.95. You will find even more handy tips on internet forums and websites like Big Green Switch.