Since the environment can't take care of itself, and when you think about, we are the ones who have something to lose in the end (because objectively neither the environment, nor the planet care too much if we are here or not), I think it might be a nice suggestion to employ some not-so-difficult tactics to make things a little bet better. Green cleaning is by far the most useless attempt to save or preserve the delicate balance of nature, but it's a good start for building up habits and introducing innovative concepts that might have a more serious impact on the matter. If at one point in time everybody starts to sanitize in a manner inspired by the “green” spectrum of cleaning, then we have a much better chance to take things to the next logical step – alternative fuels, reducing pollution and all those nice things eco-activists like to talk about. Taking this into consideration helps you see things in a whole new perspective – that even the smallest gesture can have a big impact in the end. So if you think that it doesn't matter if you use commercial cleaning products instead of green ones, imagine the future your children will live in because everybody conceives everything as a “minor constituent” of polluting the planet. If, however, you want to have a clear conscience, then there is much you can do in order to preserve both the environment and your family's wellbeing.

Use white vinegar

White vinegar is almost a universal cleaner, which is good because it's much cheaper than your commercial products, so it saves you money, and also is much “greener” in the sense that it doesn't contain any chemicals you can't even pronounce added for aroma or something. Commercial cleaners might be laced with all sorts of dangerous compounds, which can be dangerous, especially for those with a more delicate skin or more sensitive to various chemicals. If you have allergies, they can be triggered at any moment by fumes caused by the involvement of those substances. All of this can be avoided if you use white vinegar instead. It's a potent cleaner and can be used for floors, windows, wood and almost anything else. Just make a solution of white vinegar and water (depending on the severity of the stain you're trying to clean, it might be up to 50% but in my experience usually 1 to 3 works just fine).

Polish wood with olive oil

Many of your salad dressing ingredients can be successfully used in the cleaning field because that's how diverse functions work. A small amount of olive oil is a perfect way to polish your old wooden furniture without polluting the air with toxic fumes and aggravating chemical agents. You will be surprised how superfluous most of your cleaning detergents actually are and how easily can be substituted with something that goes in your Cesar salad.

Another example can be lemon juice and club soda, mixed with water. They can wash off almost any stain. Just be warned that putting too much onto the stain might damage the delicate cloth, but that's pretty much a universal.

Use natural soap to wash your clothes

Natural soaps have major benefits on two levels – one, they are great for the environment (not as great as stopping air pollution for cars and factories, but like I said, it's a good enough start); and two, they are much better for your skin and will not irritate it the moment you put your clothes on after you've washed them.

If you don't care too much about the environment, consider this – green cleaning is much cheaper so you can at least save some money.