As you prepare to open the windows and let spring's fresh breezes breathe new life into your home, I hope you will also take a fresh, green approach to your spring cleaning.

Our grocery store shelves - and consequently, many of our cupboards - are stocked full of every type of cleaner imaginable, promising everything from the shiniest floors to the cleanest windows - all with just a minimal amount of work.

The reality is, however, that if you took a close look at what's in those containers, you would see that most of them contain many of the same ingredients, so you could get away with using the same cleanser for the dishwasher as you would for the toilet bowl and sink. So start your spring cleaning by cutting down on the multitude of cleaning products you have in your house. You'll greatly reduce your waste and also add space to your cabinets.

A close look at the labels of many cleaners also reveals how incredibly toxic many of them are, especially if used in combination with other cleaners. That means that you (or your housekeeper) are breathing toxic fumes - not a great trade-off for a clean house. The fact is that you probably already have some of the simplest, and safest, cleaning agents in your kitchen:

Vinegar: You will likely find that a little vinegar and water will clean your hardwood floors better than the most expensive wood cleaners on the market today. Use it to wipe down cabinets. Mix it with just a drop of mild soap to make a great window cleaner. Polish your windows with newspaper- yes, newspaper - for clear, streak-free windows.
Baking Soda: As a natural abrasive, baking soda is ideal for cleaning sinks, pots and pans, shower doors, etc. It is also a great deodorizer for carpets and laundry. Mix it with lemon juice and fine table salt for a near perfect soft-scrub.
Mild soap, soap flakes, phosphorous-free laundry or dish detergent: Forget the harsh chemicals you'll find in some of those popular all-in-one cleaners. Just a little bit of mild soap or detergent will break up grease and grime on counters, stoves, walls, etc.
Lemon Juice and Salt: Use this ancient combination to clean and polish your silver; grind up the rinds to clean and freshen your garbage disposal. The natural acidity of the fruit works as good as any harsh chemical agent, such as ammonia. Lemon juice will work as well as bleach on a stained porcelain or copper sink.
Club soda: For years, restaurant hostesses have sworn by the oxidizing properties of club soda to remove stains from carpets and upholstery. Use it as well for laundry stains much like the popular "oxi" products on the market today.
Hydrogen Peroxide: If hydrogen peroxide is safe enough to clean a wound, it is equally safe to use as a household cleaner on hard surfaces such as porcelain. It will bleach in the same manner as chlorine, but is not as harmful to breathe.
Sun and Air: Hang out down comforters, wool blankets, and rugs to air - the sun breaks down pollutants, bleaches stains and yellowing, plus the breeze will carry any odor away. Often this can replace a dry-cleaning. Unless your dry-cleaner uses a water system, you should also hang your newly dry cleaned clothes out to air. Your clothes are actually full of petrochemicals when you get them back neatly pressed and in a (plastic!) bag.

Ultimately, natural cleaners will require a little more time and elbow grease on your part than some of today's popular cleaning agents, which are loaded with numerous chemical agents designed to take some of the effort out of cleaning. So you may have to soak things a little longer and scrub a little harder. But a green clean rewards our environment, as well as provides streak-free windows and "good as new" floors - and ahhh -- everything smells Ozone fresh.

Happy Earth Day!

Don't miss Kaja's tip (#31) in Bedford Magazine's Green List.