Yes, disinfecting is important (see above). And no, you can’t do it with your Superman laser-gaze. But that doesn’t mean you need bleach. “People think there’s nothing else that can disinfect, but it’s just not true,” says Elizabeth Dance, owner of local earth-friendly cleaning service Eco Clean. Dance uses hydrogen peroxide instead, which lacks bleach’s potentially harmful effects on you and the environment. And she has a slew of other low-tech, time-tested tricks up her sleeve.
 Just say no to bleach. Elizabeth Dance’s Eco Clean Service delivers the elbow grease. |
For one, she uses pumice stone—commonly found in the beauty section at the drugstore—to remove gunk on ceramic toilets, sinks and tubs without scratching the finish. She’s also fond of this formula for sparkling up bathroom fixtures: half a cup of borax, a gallon of hot water, and a few drops of fresh lemon juice. “It’s really amazing,” she says of the shine this method produces. “You can’t even get it with [harsher] chemicals, and there’s just no residue.”
There’s more. Rubbing alcohol will take away streaks on a mirror. White distilled vinegar will clean floors (among many other areas in the house) and its odor can be counteracted with essential oil of lavendar, pine or whatever your nose prefers. Baking soda and vinegar will take care of mildew. Two cups of olive oil plus the juice of one lemon will polish your furniture.
If you’d rather clean with official cleaning products, Dance recommends these brands: Ecover, Bi-O-Kleen, Mildew Stain Away, Seventh Generation, and Soy Lube (an alternative to WD-40).