Most commercial cleansers contain harsh chemicals, such as bleach and ammonia, which irritate the eyes, skin, and lungs. These chemicals also harm plants, wildlife, and water supplies when they leach into the natural environment. Because they come packaged with brand names and logos, they are also expensive. Natural products, however, clean just as well and come without the steep price tag or environmental hazard. Baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, kosher salt, and club soda, are all excellent cleansers, and are items most people have on hand. Read on to find out how you can use these inexpensive, natural products to clean your home.

Kitchen Cleaning Solutions

All-Purpose Cleanser: Mix ½ cup baking soda and ½ cup white vinegar to ½ gallon of water. You may use less water for a stronger mixture. The baking soda removes odors, scours, and softens hard water stains, while the vinegar cuts grease, cleans mildew, and removes stains.

Scouring Powder: Baking soda applied with a damp cloth will clean grime without scratching surfaces. Use on countertops, sinks, stove tops, and tile. For tougher stains, create a thick baking soda paste and let sit for 5-10 minutes before removing. Note: Though often recommended, use of vinegar on grout can weaken it. Use sparingly.

Oven Cleaner: Earth Easy has a terrific recipe for an all-natural oven cleaner that uses nothing more than baking soda, salt, and water. Visit their site for directions.

Stainless Faucets and Appliances: Wipe them down with white vinegar, then add a light coat of mineral oil.

Chopping Blocks: Lemon is an effective disinfectant. Rub onto surface and wipe away. For tougher stains, allow the lemon to penetrate for up to ten minutes before removing. Kosher salt will also break down stains.

Mineral Deposits: White vinegar diluted with water will remove hard water mineral deposits. Use ½ cup of vinegar per 2 cups of water.

Bathroom Cleaning Solutions

Toilet Bowls: A simple mixture of baking soda and white vinegar, or borax and lemon juice will clean a toilet bowl. The standard measurements are ¼ cup baking soda to 1 cup vinegar, and 2 parts borax to 1 part lemon juice. Pour into toilet bowl, let sit, scrub, then rinse.

Mold and Mildew: A mixture of baking soda and water will work for minor mold and mildew issues. If you have tougher problems, apply a diluted mixture of white vinegar and let sit for several minutes before scrubbing. Vinegar tends to deteriorate grout, however, so it’s best not to use this method on a regular basis. For exceptionally tough mildew stains, combine 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts water. Spray on mildew and let sit for up to one hour before rinsing.

Mirrors: Mix 2 tablespoons white vinegar, lemon juice, or club soda, to a gallon of water. Scrub with newspapers, which don’t streak.

Cleaning Floors

Hardwood Floors: White vinegar diluted with water works wonders on hardwood floors. It disinfects, cleans grime, and leaves them shiny. Combine ½ cup white vinegar to 2 cups water. Put in a spray bottle, spray on floor, and wipe down.

Rugs and Carpets: To deodorize, sprinkle rugs and carpets with baking soda. Let sit for 30 minutes, then vacuum. For stains, try club soda or vinegar. Douse stain immediately with club soda and blot with a rag. If you’re using vinegar, mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and let sit for an hour before removing with a sudsy cloth. Cornstarch acts as a carpet lifter. Sprinkle on liberally, let sit for 20 minutes, and then vacuum.

Cleaning Windows

You can get sparkling clean windows by using a mixture of white vinegar, lemon juice, or club soda, water, and newspapers. Mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar, lemon juice, or club soda with a gallon of water. Spray onto windows and wipe with newspaper instead of paper towels or dry cloths. Newspaper doesn’t leave streaks.

Furniture and Wood Care Solutions

A few drops of lemon oil mixed with ½ cup warm water will act as a wood polish. Spray onto a soft cloth and wipe furniture. If you have water rings on your furniture, try toothpaste or mayonnaise. Apply to a soft cloth and rub onto ring. Once the ring is gone, buff out the wood.

For more information, recipes, and green cleaning solutions, visit these sources:

“Easy, Nontoxic, Green Cleaning”
by Brian Clark Howard

“Non-Toxic Home Cleaning”
at Earth Easy.com

“Natural Household Cleansers for Everyday Chores”
at Do It Yourself.com

Winter Home Maintenance Checklist
From chimneys to caulking, certified home inspector Tim Hockenberry shows you how to keep your home in top shape during winter.

“Winter Maintenance Checklist”
via DIY Network

New Uses For Old Christmas Cards
Do you keep the Christmas cards you receive every year? Are they piling up? Don’t toss them just yet. Frugal Village gives you several ideas for how to reuse those cards—from bookmarks, recipe cards, and ornaments, the ideas are useful and fun.

“Don’t Throw Away Those Old Christmas Cards”
via Frugal Village

It’s Time to Check Your Free Annual Credit Report
An error in your credit report can lead to you paying higher interest rates on everything you finance—from your home to credit card purchases. Don’t get stuck paying for someone else’s mistake. Check your credit report for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.

“Monitor Your Free Credit Reports”
via Bargaineering

Ace Hardware Now Offers CFL Recycling
Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) are much more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, but until now, the only retailer to offer recycling was Ikea. Now, Ace Hardware will recycle your CFLs and most other fluorescent tubes for free at all stores in America.

“Testing Out Ace Hardware’s CFL Recycling Program”
via Eco Geek

Wired’s Top Technologies for 2008
Flash Memory, Memory Transistor, and USB 3.0 are just a few of the technologies to make the list. Find out what else rocked the technology world, and how it’s useful to you.

“Top Technology Breakthroughs of 2008″
via Wired

If you’re interested in saving time and money, and having research and reading outlets available at your convenience no matter where you are, or what time it is, give online libraries a shot. Whether you’re looking for a good novel to read, wanting an audio book for that road trip you’re taking, or researching your thesis, the following five sites will provide you plenty of options for each.

Also, be sure to check and see if your local library system is online. If they are, you may be able to access parts of their collection, such as e-books, automobile manuals, and magazine articles, over the internet. Many libraries also allow you to place a hold on a book, download videos, music, and audio books, and chat with a librarian.

Most of these services are available for free, though a few sites do charge a subscription fee—usually a small price to pay for having unlimited, 24/7 access to quality, trustworthy information and material.

Bartleby
Bartleby gives you free access to literature, non-fiction, and reference materials.

The Reference section includes: encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesaurus’, quotations’, and English usage manuals.

In Verse, find: anthologies and volumes of poetry including greats such as Robert Frost and Walt Whitman.

Fiction brings you: anthologies and volumes of classic literature from favorites such as Hans Christian Andersen, Agatha Christie, Charles Dickens, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Homer, Sinclair Lewis, Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, and many more.

Non-Fiction includes: essays, inaugural addresses, historical document, autobiographies, and more.

Library Spot
Library Spot is packed with useful information. It’s a true virtual library and resource center. Published by Northwestern University/Evanston Research Park, Library Spot uses an editorial team to review and hand-select the highest quality sites on the web. They’ve won over 30 awards and honors for bringing users exceptional quality and content—for free!

Among the many resources you can find at Library Spot are:

Libraries, including public libraries, academic libraries, and even Presidential.

A Reading Room full of books, newspapers, journals, and more.

A Reference Desk which gives you access to: almanacs, thesaurus’, calculators, calendars, dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, maps, public records, quotations, statistics, white and yellow pages, and whole lot more.

Questia
Offering over 70,000 full text books, and 2 million newspaper, magazine, and journal articles in the humanities and social sciences, this is the perfect resource for students, teachers, or professionals in those fields. For unlimited use of the entire collection and the ability to read any work cover to cover, it will cost you $19.95 a month. For access to only one collection, you can get away with spending $9.95 a month. Questia also offers a free 72 hour trial service. The subscription also comes with a wide range of note-taking and writing tools, including tools to write notes in the margins, highlight passages, create footnotes and bibliographies, and the ability to hyperlink. The service is available, with staff, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Classic Book Library
At Classic Book Library, you can read dozens of your favorite classics online for free. From A Tale of Two Cities to Sense and Sensibility, The Wizard of Oz, and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, there’s plenty of treasured literature for you to choose from. Categories include: Historical Fiction, Romance, Children’s Literature, History, Science Fiction, Science, and Mystery. Each chapter is divided into separate pages, and the book includes a table of contents for easy bookmarking.

Books Free
Books Free operates differently from other online libraries. It’s the Netflix of the literary world. You visit the website, check-out the paperbacks, CDs, or audio books you want, and they deliver your choices directly to your house. You will pay for the service, however shipping is free. Monthly plans start at $29.49 for unlimited check-outs of any materials. If you’re only interested in audio discs and books, plans start at $22.49 a month. Those of you only wanting to check-out paperbacks can get a plan as low as $9.99 a month. Books Free also offers combo packages and a’ la carte rentals. There are no due dates, and Books Free carries over 160,000 titles for you to choose from.

The fiction selection includes: action, horror, mystery, fantasy, comics, romance, science fiction, popular, and many sub-genres.

In non-fiction, select from biographies, business, cooking, health, history, philosophy, religion, travel, and more.

Six Online Job Hunting Sites
Get your resume polished! Here are six great job search sites for you to scour.

“Five Best Online Job Search Sites”
via Lifehacker

The Essential Time-Saving Guide
With tips for saving time at work and home, plus consumer time-saving tips, you’re sure to find ways to organize your life so you can do the things you really want.

“The Essential Time-Saving Guide for Busy People”
via Zen Habits

New Wireless Modems for Mobile Professionals
Sierra Wireless has come out with two new wireless modems that are faster and more user friendly. If you live a mobile lifestyle, be sure to check them out.

“Sierra Wireless offers two new AirCard ExpressCard modems”
via Coolest Gadgets

Wireless Security System Keeps You Safe Wherever You Go
The SimpliSafe self-install wireless security system runs off battery powered sensors that you can remove and take with you when you move. The standard bundle costs $250 and includes a base station, keypad, keychain remote, one motion sensor, two entry sensors, a panic button, and decals.

“SimpliSafe: DIY Apartment Protection Without The Wires”
via Unplggd

How-to Rid Your Home of Mold and Mildew
Popular Mechanics shows you which molds and mildews to tackle yourself, and which are best left to the experts.

“How to Battle Mold and Mildew at Home”
via Popular Mechanics

Winter is the Time to Start Planning for a Spring Garden
There are plenty of gardening activities you should be doing now to get ready for spring planting. Ordering seeds, starting a planting calendar, and collecting newspapers are just a few things you can do to get ready for your new garden.

“Planning Ahead for Next Year’s Garden”
via The Simple Dollar

The dark and stormy days of winter seems to bring out the couch potato in all of us. The lack of sun, the short days, and the cold temperatures, drives us straight to our couches with blankets, the remote, and, often, a heaping plate of comfort food. The combination of inactivity and eating more further exacerbates our sluggishness. But physical activity is an important element to well-being. It alters the brain chemistry, boosting endorphins and serotonin, one of the key chemicals that make people feel happy. Don’t let winter get you down. Use the list below to find an exercise that you’ll find fun and rewarding.

Indoors

If using the spinning machines, treadmills, and strength training apparatus’ at your local gym isn’t your thing, check out the racquetball courts, the pool, or sign up for a kickboxing, yoga, or aerobics class.

If you’d rather skip the gym all together, hit up your local library for home exercise videos, or purchase a Nintendo Wii gaming system along with Wii Fit.

For the guys, a punching bag and a jump rope will keep them de-stressed.

Ladies, pick up a Pilates mat and video and tone every muscle in your body.

Dance!

Outdoors

Don’t rule out the outdoors for your winter exercise. There are a lot of fun activities that will get your blood pumping. Just make sure to properly stretch and warm up before heading out. Cold muscles are more prone to injuries. Wear warm clothing, and reflectors if you’re out at night.

If you live in an area where it snows, or within reasonable distance to the mountains, skiing and snowboarding is great exercise. If you’re looking for a cheaper, or more strenuous alternative, rent a pair of cross-country skis or snowshoes for an afternoon.

Packing a sled up a slope will get your heart rate up. Plus, it’s fun coming down!

Snow shoveling works the arms, abs, back, and leg muscles.

Ice skating and ice hockey are fun, sociable activities that will keep you in shape.

Try jogging when whether permits. The crisp air will leave you invigorated. Plus, you burn more calories in the winter as your body works harder to keep you warm.

A game of flag football is fun for the entire family.

Calories Burned Charts and Calculators

Exercise for Weight Loss Calorie Burner Chart from the Mayo Clinic

Calories Burned, Body Mass Index, Basal and Resting Metabolic Rates, and Activity Calculator from Caloriesperhour.com

Ten Easy Year End Tax Tips
December is an important month in tax planning. What moves should you be making now to save on your taxes? Bargaineering offers ten tips. Check them out.

“Ten Easy Year End Tax Tips”
via Bargaineering

Environmentally Friendly Laptop Batteries Last Longer
Next year, HP will begin selling laptops that use improved lithium ion batteries. These batteries are made with no PVC, no heavy metals, can be recycled, and are said to last for over 1,000 charges, vs. the standard 150.

“Attention, Laptop Shoppers: New HP Batteries Will Last Longer”
via Eco Geek

How-to NOT Gain Weight During the Holidays
Don’t get sucked into that “it’s the holidays, I’m allowed” mentality. Research shows holiday weight gain accumulates over the years, and most people, despite their best intentions and New Year’s resolutions, never lose it.

“How To Avoid That Dreaded Holiday Weight Gain”
via Dumb Little Man

Reduce Your Inbox Clutter
How many emails do you have in your inbox? Go ahead, check. Then come back to this article and find out how one man went from 2,500 emails to 0 in a matter of hours.

“Zeroed out: five steps toward restoring inbox sanity”
via Ars Technica

Find a Home Within Your Commuting Radius
Google Maps teamed up with Zillow to help you find a neighborhood in a location central to all of your commuting destinations.

“Optimal Home Location Helps You Find a Commute-Friendly Residence”
via Lifehacker

Ten Cheap Parties Ideas to Beat Winter Blahs
The dark, short days of winter can be a drag, but they don’t have to be. Check out Apartment Therapy’s ten tips for hosting an inexpensive party, and spend your winter having fun, not pining for summer.

“10 Cheap Parties to Host this Winter”
via Apartment Therapy

First, what exactly is a “carbon footprint”? According to Carbon Footprint.com, a carbon footprint is “a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc.”

How do you measure your carbon footprint? There are several calculators available online. The Environmental Protection Agency’s “Personal Emissions Calculator,” and Carbon Footprint.com’s calculator for both home and business purposes, are only two among many. How do you and your household measure up? Take either or both short quizzes to find out.

What effects does carbon have on the environment? Carbon dioxide is a leading green house gas contributing to global warming. Rising earth and sea temperature affects everything on the planet, from the forests, to the food supply, to the melting polar regions. Climate change can also be contributed to stronger and more frequent natural disasters. For more information and evidence on how global warming affects you, visit the EPA’s website or the Nature Conservancy, for starters.

Ten Steps to a Smaller Carbon Footprint

• Drive less. If you took the quiz, you can see how much carbon dioxide emissions from your vehicle contribute to your carbon footprint. The solution? Walk or bike more, carpool, use public transportation, and combine your errands. Even driving one hundred miles less per year will have an impact!

• Recycle. Recycling uses less energy than producing products from scratch.

• Turn off your lights when not in a room. Most of our homes are powered by the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels contribute to the amount of carbon dioxide and other pollution in the atmosphere.

• Replace your incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. According to Energy Star, CFL use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last ten times longer.

• Use less paper. According to the National Resources Defense Council, the paper industry is the third largest industrial emitter of pollutants that contribute to global warming.

• Reduce hot water consumption. Heating water takes an enormous amount of energy. Take shorter showers and only run full loads in your clothes washer and dishwasher.

• Buy locally grown produce when available. They don’t have to travel as far to reach you.

• Take reusable cloth bags to the grocery store. You’ve already read how the paper industry contributes to global warming. Well, plastic bags are a petroleum based product, and they take a lot of energy to produce.

• Eat less meat. Cows and other livestock produce methane and nitrous oxides gases, which are also large contributors to global warming.

• Skip the bottled water. Bottled water is NOT healthier for you. The Food and Drug Administration overseas the industry, and uses very similar guidelines as the EPA, the agency who overseas public water supplies. The same level of contaminants are allowable in both, and often bottled water is nothing more than tap water in a package. And that package—plastic bottles—clogs landfills, consumes petroleum and energy, and contains harmful chemicals which may be absorbed into your blood stream upon ingestion. A better bet? A filter for your tap.

Finding and Holding a Job in a Bad Economy
Every week, if not every day, the media brings news of more job lay-offs. So, how do you hold onto your job, or find a new one, in this economy? The Dollar Stretcher shares six tips.

“Finding a Job in a Bad Economy”
via The Dollar Stretcher

Where to Turn for Technology Help
Have a new computer, gaming station, camera, or phone you need help with? Manual not helping? There are plenty of forums you can turn to.

“10 Forums You Can Go to For Technology Help”
via Stepcase Lifehack

How-to Calibrate Your HDTV to Get the Best Picture
Your new TV looked great in the store, but when you get it home, the focus is off, the color is too blue, and the screen looks a bit dark. How do you get that awesome picture back?

“How to Calibrate Your HDTV: Digital Clinic”
via Popular Mechanics

Turn Kitchen Staples into Quick Suppers
There are some staples we all seem to have on hand, and Good Housekeeping shows you how to use eight simple ingredients to make quick suppers and stretch your buck.

“Fast Ways to Make Over Leftovers”
via Good Housekeeping

What NOT to Drink With Your Medication
Juice, coffee, and milk. Is what you’re drinking interfering with your prescription medicine or over-the-counter pill? Find out what NOT to mix.

“When Drugs and Juices Don’t Mix”
via The Bottom Line

In this cash strapped economy, quit spending your money on frivolous gifts. Instead, put your hard-earned money to work by purchasing useful items that recipients will use for years to come. Below, you will find ten useful stocking stuffers perfect for the home, the office, or for travelers.

For the Home

Collapsible Silicone Funnel
Funnels are an indispensible kitchen tool, but most funnels are bulky and take up valuable kitchen space. This funnel, however, collapses to fit neatly inside even small drawers. Plus, it’s made of durable heat resistant and dishwasher safe silicone.

Wall Mounted Bottle Opener
Two sturdy screws attach this bar-style bottle opener to the wall, so it’s always there when you need it. Perfect for game rooms, kitchens, or even the garage!

Herb Scissors
Quickly and easily snip fresh herbs directly onto your plate or atop your dish with these fancy herb scissors. The scissors feature five stainless steel blades and silicone lined handles for comfortable use.

For the Office

Classic Desk Bell
The 4″ stainless steel dome on this desk bell adds a touch of refinement to any desk.

Fifty Year Calendar
This attractive brushed metal disc allows you to look up any date from 2006-2055. It can also be used as a paperweight.
                                    

Staple Free Stapler
With no metal staple prongs to catch your finger, sweater, or important documents on, this staple free stapler is safe for all ages. It uses a combination of a punch, fold, and tuck, to bond your papers together.

For Travel

Classic Camping Tool
Who doesn’t love an all-in-one tool? This one combines six essential items– a fork, knife, spoon, bottle opener, file, and corkscrew—into a single, compact device. Perfect for backpacks, glove boxes, tool boxes, and even pockets.

Point It Traveller’s Language Kit
Don’t get stuck abroad without the ability to communicate. This handy book contains 1200 photos. Just point to the item you need, and get immediate results. No miscommunications with this kit.

Travel Lint Brush and Shoehorn
Perfect for the business traveler who needs a lint-free suit and nice dress shoes, this two-in-one tool fits easily into suitcases, briefcases, purses, and toiletry bags.

Travel Sewing Kit
Complete with six colors of thread, three needles, a needle threader, three buttons, and two button fasteners, this compact kit will save you in case of a lost button, torn blouse, or other clothing emergency.

Visit the Useful Things Store for other unique and useful gift ideas!

Is it Time to Drop Your Land Line?
Do you use your cell phone more often than your land line? Are you using your phone plans effectively? Find out if dropping your land line is the right move for you.

“Is it Time to Drop Your Land Line”
via The Simple Dollar

Charge Your Cell Phone with the Twist of a Wrist
Forget car chargers and plug-ins. Wind-up phone chargers allow you to charge your cell phone wherever you are, all with the twist of a wrist.

“Wind-Up iPhone Chargers Make Awesome Holiday Gifts”
via Clean Technica

How-to Care for a Live Christmas Tree
Christmas trees that can be planted after using them indoors for holiday decoration have become a popular way to reduce waste. But how do you care for a live tree? DIY Network tells you how.

“Live Christmas Tree Care”
via DIY Network

The Most Eco-Friendly Way to Travel
Is public transportation greener than traveling in a fuel efficient sedan? What variables do you need to consider before deciding whether planes, trains, or automobiles are more environmentally friendly?

“Trains vs. Planes vs. Automobiles: Is it always greener to take public transportation?”
via Slate

Learn to Play Chess and Sharpen Your Game Online
Keep your mind sharp with this classic game of strategy. Check out these sites online that will teach you to play, or school you on how-to improve your game.

“Sharpen Your Chess Game”
via Make Use Of