The last thing you want to do when cleaning your home and driving away dirt is to more harm than good. Yes, it's possible. When you use harsh, chemically laden cleaning products you actually introduce far more dangerous for your health substances in your home than the dirt and dust you want out. What's more most of these harmful chemicals end up polluting our planet. Protect both yourself and environment using green or homemade cleaners.

We have prepared a list of basic ingredients for the make of number cleaners and a few ways to implement them around your home.

There is a number of basic supplies you'll need in stock to make your own green cleaning solutions:

• Baking soda (sold in the cooking section of most supermarkets)
• White vinegar (sold in the cooking section of most supermarkets)
• Liquid castile soap
• Olive oil (again cooking section)
• Essential oils (concentrated natural plant oils found in cosmetics aisles)
• Borax (found in the laundry section)
• Old newspapers (found in most closets)

8 Fantastic Cleaning Recipes and Techniques For Your Home

Number 1 – I always have problems when it comes to cleaning glass surfaces. Somehow I never fail to leave a smudge or two... I was driven to despair until a friend of mine told me a little secret. The secret is a mixture of ¼ cup vinegar with quart of water combined in a spray bottle. Apply on glass surfaces and wipe clean with lint-free cloth or old newspaper.

Number 2 – Cleaning hard floors is quite easy now and eco-friendly with my new homemade solution of 4 cups white vinegar mixed with a gallon of water. For added fragrance add a few drops of scented oils.

Number 3 – I hate cleaning tile grout. It's like a magnet for mildew and tile grout. But since I started using a mix of 2 parts vinegar to 1 part baking soda with 4 parts water I have no troubles what so ever.

Number 4 – Use the abrasive power of baking soda to scrub and clean the toilet bowl in your home. Sprinkle some over the toilet brush and scrub dirt away.

Number 5 – Maintaining hygiene is important. In that line of thought make your own disinfecting solution skipping harsh chemical usage with creating a cleanser of 2 teaspoons Borax, 3 cups hot water, 4 tablespoons vinegar and ¼ teaspoon castile soap.

Number 6 – Lemon juice mixed with olive oil is the perfect solution to clean any wooden furniture surface. Apply the solution on a clean cloth and gently wipe the surface you want cleaned.

Number 7 – Undiluted vinegar is the best remedy against mold and mildew. Spray the back of your carpets and you will be protected for long. Alternatively, use the power of steam carpet cleaning to kill microorganisms residing in the carpet pile.

Number 8 – Who would have thought that a vacuum cleaner can also be an air freshener? I didn't know it until I read somewhere that adding a cotton ball, soaked in vanilla or essential oils and placed into the cleaner bag will disseminate the fragrance and neutralize lingering pet and cooking smells. Alternatively, put soaked with essential oil cotton balls around the house.