Over the last year or so, I’ve been trying to make restitution for the truckloads of disposable diapers I’ve contributed to local landfills (well, technically, my kids did most of that work) by becoming more environmentally conscious. (Notice I didn’t say “environmentally responsible”–I’ve got a long way to go before I achieve the green seal of approval. But yay for progress!)

One of the best, simplest, most cost-effective changes I’ve made is making my own cleaning supplies. Who knew that you could clean almost anything with nothing more than vinegar, baking soda, and the occasional dab of olive oil or borax? I still shake my head thinking about how much money I spent on 409, how many faulty squirt bottles I went through in my attempts to keep my home nominally germ-free. Now, I just dump a couple inches of white vinegar into an industrial spray bottle, fill the rest with water, shake in a couple drops of essential oils (lime is my favorite), and voila! An all-purpose cleanser that works as well on windows as counter tops. (Just don’t use this on unfinished wood. The particularly well-scrubbed parts of my birch table are still a little green–evidently vinegar has a pickling effect.)

If you want to try a couple super-simple recipes for green cleaning supplies, check out my eHow article on the subject. I particularly suggest trying the baking soda/vinegar combination for cleaning bathrooms–you just sprinkle the offending porcelain with baking soda, splash on some vinegar, and boom! Cleaning the toilet has never been so exciting.

Go on, try it! It’s fun!