Six months ago, I threw out my nasty chemical cleaners. Although I would love to claim any number of high-minded reasons, I can’t. I just wanted my house clean.

Until that day of desperation, I had always cleaned late at night. Now, 10 p.m. is not the most appealing time to be schlepping a bucket of brushes and cleaners from bathroom to bathroom, but I live with people who have allergies and asthma, and I couldn’t clean when they were around. My daughters were asleep by 9 p.m. and I had three hours to clean before my husband came home from work around midnight.

Then last August my children’s school schedule changed. After years of lazily lounging in bed, I had to be vertical and relatively awake by 6 a.m. Now once the girls were in bed, the only things I cared to clean were my face and teeth. My odd but workable system was no more.

I needed to be able to clean when my chemical-sensitive family was home and sentient. But how was that possible without Lysol or Clorox?

After some research, I found several Web sites extolling the virtues of vinegar and baking soda. I tried some of the suggestions and I have to admit I’m a convert. We’re putting fewer toxic chemicals into our water, my house is as clean as it’s ever been, and best of all there have been some interesting changes to our routine.

After a recent Saturday morning spent picking up toys, whining, making beds, whining, vacuuming, whining, folding laundry and more whining — we finally finished the chores and were ready for some fun.

“Wait for me! Don’t start! I want to do it,” my 9-year-old yelled.

Slightly out of breath, she slid into the bathroom. I handed her a cup and she measured out a big scoop of baking soda and dumped it into the toilet bowl. She sloshed it around a bit with a brush, then looked my way. I handed her a cup of white vinegar and she delicately poured it in. It erupted.

Like some pint-sized Pele, she fed her miniature volcano with more vinegar, then she calmed the furious bubbling by stirring and scrubbing. Eventually the bubbles were gone, the toilet was clean and a faint scent of pickles lingered in the air.

“Cool,” she pronounced.

My daughter is happy to clean the toilet? Cool indeed.

Now, the bathrooms and countertops get wiped down with full-strength white vinegar. Baking soda on a damp sponge scrubs sinks and tubs. The floors get mopped with vinegar and water.

Our biggest hurdle has been replacing the automatic dishwasher detergent. After the third brand of nonchlorine dish soap failed miserably in the face of dried oatmeal, my long-suffering husband asked with a sigh, “Can’t we just buy some Cascade?”

So, we’ve backslid. A mix of Cascade and eco-detergent washes our dishes. And because my little kids still make big messes, the disinfecting wipes are back in the bathrooms.

But even with these small compromises, the switch has been good. After all, now I have help cleaning the toilets.

Greener cleaners
Floors: Add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to 1 gallon warm water. Mop normally.
Toilet: Add 1/3-1/2 cup baking soda to toilet bowl. Swirl with brush. Add 3 cups of white vinegar, one cup at a time, scrubbing after each addition until bubbles dissipate.
Mirrors, windows: Solution of one part vinegar, one part water in a spray bottle. Dry with cheap paper towel.
Counters: White vinegar in a spray bottle is a great all-purpose cleaner. To disinfect kitchen countertops, try a solution of half rubbing alcohol and half water.
Showers: Spray with full-strength vinegar, wipe and rinse afterward.
Hydrogen peroxide can get rid of stains.

Online sources
For more cleaning recipes:
vinegartips.com/cleaning/
thenewhomemaker.com/vinegar
What’s so bad about commercial cleaners?:
greenlivingonline.com/HealthNutrition/six-household-chemicals-to-avoid/