Many of the common household cleaners include ammonia, formaldehyde, lye, bleach, and alcohol; substances that can cause nausea, headaches, vomiting, inflammation and burning eyes and/ throat. Environmentalists have linked these ingredients with neurological, liver and kidney damage and asthma.

Mona offers a few homegrown green recipes for cleaning that will help you reduce your eco-footprint. They are easy and inexpensive.

• Want to eco-clean your oven? Make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to oven walls and let dry. Scrub clean with a dry scrub sponge and then rinse with water.
• To clean your stainless steel, spray undiluted vinegar on stainless steel, and buff with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.
• Salt is great as an abrasive cleaner for pots and pans.
• Olive oil mixed with vinegar makes a healthy green furniture polish.
• Shine your stainless steel sinks by scrubbing with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda.