The Queen of Clean.

After decades when I thought no more about the dynamics of cleaning than to wonder what they meant by "a lick, a spit, and a promise," I have finally come into my mature cleaning years, l was fortunate in that I discovered cleaning products while they were still beneficial to me (that is, while I'm still alive). My misfortune comes from the fact that at the same time I discovered this hitherto untapped arsenal to rid my home of accumulated grime, the scientific community was, alas, uncovering strong evidence that the stuff was not only tough on grease, but it was also downright bad for the environment, people's health, and, with certain abrasives, nearly every surface type known to man.

My lack of enthusiasm for cleaning products up to this point was partly because of the confusing array; there were more varieties than cough syrup. I could choose with bleach, without bleach, with nonchlorine bleach, scented, unscented, powdered or liquid, brand name or no name. It was positively dizzying, and I hadn't even opened the bottle yet. Regardless, whichever one I chose left a powdery residue on everything. In the end I had an impressive collection of partially used bottles of this and that.

It was during my first pregnancy that I began to worry about the toxic chemicals in those bottles, and I decided to go au natural. While better for the environment and my developing fetus, the natural products I tried lacked a little something in the way of cleaning. Like effectiveness. I could scrub for an hour on the stove, and in the end, while I was sure that no poisons were adhering to the now-shiny surface, it was elbow grease that had removed the grime.

Later, when I read an article about natural cleaning in A Real Life, I was skeptical. "Get rid of your assumptions about natural cleaning products," the article challenged. "I am speaking from experience--they are cheaper, they do a great job, it makes cleaning much more pleasant, the house smells terrific, many of the ingredients are natural pest repellents, and you are making a choice to care about your health and the health of your world."

I had most of the ingredients in my house already, so I gave it a try. Taking the article's advice, I found a plant mister and filled it half-and-half with vinegar and water and added a tablespoon of concentrated citrus cleaner (I used Citra-solv) for general cleaning. It took the brown stains on my stainless steel kitchen sink out with just a little scrubbing. Previously this had required lengthy applications of bleach-saturated cleaning paste. I tried LimeEater on the hard water buildup and stains on the tub and toilet. Wait three minutes and wipe it off. Effortless! I was on to something!

Baking soda, I discovered, works wonders as a bleaching agent, and it's so much safer than bleach. I clean the caked-on food in pots and pans with a paste of baking soda and a little water. Let it sit a few minutes, scrub a bit, and presto! Clean again. Straight vinegar sprayed directly on mildew gets rid of it immediately. Brazilian lemon oil polishes wood to a shine.

As long as I have to clean, I'm glad that I can choose nontoxic, healthy products. I think it's part of being a good steward of the earth, or at least my little corner of it. And now when people stare out my French glass doors I don't have to worry that they're contemplating the smudge pattern to decipher a hidden meaning.

Celeste perrino Walker writes from her naturally clean home in Rutland, Vermont.