All-purpose Cleaners

All-purpose cleaners are used for cleaning surfaces around the home, including walls, floors, woodwork, counters and tile. You don’t need all of the specialized cleaners on the market. It is best to buy fewer products and use each one for several purposes. For example, castile soap is a mild, versatile cleaner that can do numerous jobs. Try these less-toxic alternatives: Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap, Ajax Lemon Fresh Liquid, Citra-Solvent (diluted 1:50), EarthRite, Ecover, Mr. Clean, Murphy’s Oil Soap, or Spic and Span.

Drain Cleaners

Consumer Reports doesn’t recommend commercial drain cleaners because they’re too hazardous and not very effective. Instead, use a plunger, snake or hose-end bladder. Prevent clogs by pouring boiling water down a slow drain, or try a product like Drano Buildup Remover or Liquid Plumber Buildup Remover that uses enzymes to break down grease and soap.

Oven Cleaners

Prevent the need for caustic oven cleaners! The best strategy is to avoid drips by placing aluminum foil or a metal tray underneath. Spills are easier to clean up if attacked before they have baked on for a long time. To clean a dirty oven, use an oven cleaner without lye such as Easy Off Non-Caustic Formula, non-chlorine scrubbing powder such as Bon Ami, or baking soda, soap and water with a copper scrubber and lots of elbow grease.

Bathroom Cleaners and Disinfectants

Bathroom cleaners are designed especially to deal with soap scum and mildew on bathroom surfaces. Many bathroom cleaners are also disinfectants that kill germs, viruses, or mildew. Disinfectants, which are considered pesticides, kill germs on surfaces temporarily, but cannot kill germs in the air or provide long-lasting disinfection.

You don’t need a special cleaner for the bathroom. A good general purpose cleaner and a scouring powder should be adequate in most homes. Here are some less toxic products to try: Bathroom Duck, 20 Mule Team Borax, Comet Liquid Bathroom Cleaner, or Spic and Span Spray Bath Cleaner.

Toilet Bowl Cleaners

Many toilet bowl cleaners are strong acids that can burn skin and eyes. Look for the word “danger” on the label, which indicates the most hazardous product. Here are some less-toxic products to try: baking soda and castile soap, Bon Ami Cleanser, Borax, Toilet Duck, EarthRite Toilet Bowl Cleaner, or Ecover Toilet Bowl Cleaner. What you don’t know is you don’t need a special cleaner just for the toilet. Soap and water or a non-chlorine scouring powder should take care of the job. Stains can be removed by carefully rubbing with fine wet/dry sandpaper or rottenstone.

Scouring Cleaners

Many scouring powders combine a surfactant with an abrasive powder. A few products use silica as the abrasive, which can be very dangerous if inhaled. Products with chlorine bleach emit hazardous gases if mixed with ammonia or acid cleaners such as toilet bowl cleaners or some bathroom cleaners. Comet and Ajax contain chlorine bleach; Ajax and Zud contain silica in an inhalable form.

Plain baking soda is quite effective and contains no surfactants. Here are some less-toxic scouring cleaners you can try: Bon Ami, Mr. Clean Liquid Abrasive Cleaner, or Ecover Cream Cleaner.

Glass Cleaners

Glass cleaners are less toxic because they are diluted. Some however, contain ingredients such as glycol ethers and ammonia, which can be dangerous through inhalation or skin absorption. Consumer Reports found that plain water was more effective than some commercial glass cleaners. Lemon juice and water was the most effective at removing greasy fingerprints and is very easy and inexpensive to make yourself.

Laundry Bleaches (Illustration)

Chlorine bleach is an eye irritant and the vapors can irritate the lungs. If mixed with ammonia or acids, it reacts to emit hazardous gases. Non-chlorine bleaches are safer alternatives.

Stain Removers

Commercial spot removers often contain toxic solvents such as petroleum naphtha or chlorinated hydrocarbons. Many spots can be removed quite effectively using relatively non-toxic materials such as water, dishwashing liquid or rubbing alcohol. For fabrics that can be laundered, use a laundry pre-soak or pre-wash stain remover such as Ecover Stain Remover or Spray n Wash.

Automatic Dishwasher Detergents

Detergents for use in automatic dishwashers are more hazardous than products for washing dishes by hand, because they usually contain phosphates and chlorine bleach. Phosphates cause water pollution, especially in lakes and rivers. Here are some products that are essentially chlorine and phosphate free. These products require only a small amount of detergent per load. Bi-O-Kleen, Bio Pac, Kleer, Life Tree or Shaklee Basic D.

Furniture Polish and Waxes

Most furniture polishes contain petroleum distillates, which are flammable and can cause serious injury if accidentally swallowed. Look for the word “danger” on the label. The least hazardous products are based upon vegetable oils or non-toxic mineral oil. Here are some less-toxic products to try: EarthRite Furniture Polish, Howard Orange Oil, Lemon Pledge Trigger Spray or Parker’s Lemon Oil. For unvarnished furniture try olive oil, almond oil, or a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice.

Metal Cleaners and Polishes

Some metal cleaners and polishes contain petroleum distillates, ammonia or other hazardous ingredients. Here are some less-toxic products: Twinkle silver and copper polishes or Wright’s brass, copper and silver creams. You can also clean copper with a paste of equal parts vinegar and salt; rinse completely afterward to prevent corrosion. The old-fashioned electrolytic method of cleaning silver (immersing in hot water with a piece of aluminum foil and some salt or baking soda) gives off toxic hydrogen sulfide.