Basic Non-Toxic Cleaning Ingredients and Their Purpose

Replacing my toxic cleaning products with non-toxic cleaners turned out to be simple and relatively inexpensive. The ingredients for these (which have been around forever) are available in most grocery stores.

• Borax: disinfectant, water softener, deodorant, desiccant; kills mold and bacteria
• Baking soda: cleans, removes stains from surfaces
• Bon Ami: non-chlorinated scouring powder
• Essential oils: deodorizer
• Hydrogen peroxide: bleach
• Olive oil: soluble oil for furnitur
• Salt: abrasive
• Thyme: antiseptic
• White distilled vinegar: disinfectant, grease cutter