According to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), indoor air pollution is one of the top environmental dangers and causes a lot of health confitions as well. Some of the symptoms include fatigue, headache, irritation of the throat and more. If you don't keep your home clean, thus indoor air fresh, the pollution in the house could cause respiratory diseases and even cancer. On the other hand, the labels on most of the cleaning products warn that they are harmful and you should use a protective clothing in order to use them. And here it's the paradox, neither cleaning nor leaving your home full of dirt will help save the planet or your health.

What Should We Do?

We can make our own green cleaning products for every room and every spot! It would be efficient as a professional product, but cheaper and better for your health.

Green Cleaning Cheat Sheet

What do you need? White vinegar, baking soda, olive oil, essential oils, lemon and borax, although some of the people believe it's dangerous to the health, there isn't any proof of that. What you should know? White vinegar removes mildew, odors, stains and has disinfectant properties. Baking soda is great odor remover and water softener, it's used for cleaning, scouring and scrubbing. Lemon is very effective against most bacteria. Borax is a strong disinfectant, which cleans and deodorises. Here are some DIY green cleaning recipes:

Mirror, Glass and Window Cleaning

You need: 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of water;

How to: Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle and spray onto the surface. Wipe with crumpled newspaper or with a clean cloth.

Tip 1: For а better smell you can add a few drops of your favourite essential oil.

Tip 2: It's better not to clean your windows on a sunny day because the mixture could dry too fast and leave unpleasant stains.

Water Stains

You need: lemon;

How to: Slice the lemon into two halves and scrub the stain with the one part;

Tub Toilet and Sink Cleaning

You need: baking soda / borax and white vinegar;

How to: sprinkle some baking soda onto your toilet brush and scrub the grime. For the outside of the toilet surface, apply some white vinegar on a sponge or cloth and wipe off.

Tip: To disinfect the toilet use borax, instead of baking soda.

Floor Cleaning

You need: 1 cup of vinegar and 1-gallon hot water;

How to: mix them and use the solution to mop the floor. This works for ceramic tile, vinyl and wood floor, as well as linoleum.

Tip: add a few drops of essential oil for fantastic smell.

Wooden Furniture Cleaning

You need: lemon juice and olive oil;

How to: apply equal parts on a cloth and rub into the wood.

Countertops and Tiles

You need: baking soda, white vinegar and water (1:2:4);

How to: apply the mixture on a sponge and wipe off.

Carpet Cleaning

You need: white vinegar and water (1:1);

How to: spray the dirty area of the carpet with the mixed solution and soak up with a towel.

Tip: if the stain is still there mix equal parts of white vinegar, salt and borax (the mixture looks like a paste). Rub it into the carpet and leave for two hours. Vacuum after that.

Cleaning Product For Everything

You need: 1/4 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1/2 gallon of water;

How to: mix the baking soda and the white vinegar into the water and store the solution somewhere safe, in order to use it when it's needed. You can use it for everything: water stains, window washing, countertops, upholstered furniture, etc. You should simply apply the solution on a clean cloth and wipe.

Tip: For better smell you can add a few drops of your favourite essential oil.

Air Freshener

You need: baking soda, lemon juice;

How to: mix equal parts of both ingredients and put the solution in a dish. That will absorb the odours and it's very useful, especially if you have pets.

Wall Cleaning

You need: baking soda;

How to: apply the baking soda to a sponge, rub and wipe;

One of the most important things in order to have a clean and fresh home, is to open the windows wide at least twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. The smell in your house will be better through the day and you'll sleep better through the night. If you haven't got enough time to make your own green cleaning products, hire a cleaning company. I recommend you to use a local cleaners, who use non-toxic cleaning detergents. Those types of cleaning products are natural, environmentally-friendly, and safe for humans and pets. Contrary to Kermit The Frog's popular quote: 'It's not easy being green', it actually is that easy. Go green.