If you’re interested in information about natural (also known as non-toxic) cleaning, I recommend the book Clean and Green. It has lots of recipes for cleaners (and other similar solutions), information about the ingredients and what they do, etc.

I make most of my cleaning supplies myself, as it’s cheaper and usually healthier than buying them. Bon Ami is the only commercial (and non-health-food-store-type) cleanser I’m aware of that isn’t full of chemicals which really aren’t great for us to touch, inhale, etc. These are a couple of the things that I use:

Laundry Detergent

I have multiple laundry detergent recipes, and this is the one I like best. It’s a powder, and I keep it in a 5-quart ice cream bucket. (The recipe makes more than will fit, so the extra goes in a gallon freezer ziploc.) An old Oxi-Clean scoop is just the right size to scoop enough for one load of laundry. This uses castile soap because it dissolves better in various “hardnesses” and temperatures of water and it’s easier on your skin than most soaps.

You can use regular bar soap (like Ivory), but it won’t dissolve as easily and, in my experience, the castile soap is MUCH nicer to grate. For me, though, it isn’t especially cheap when using castile soap (which is $3/bar at my local health food store). If you have a cheaper source or make your own soap, it will be more cost effective. I also chose to leave the essential oil out. (I used Dr. Bronner’s aloe vera baby soap.)

16 c. baking soda
12 c. borax (more than 1, but less than 2, boxes)
8 c. grated castile soap (approx. 4 bars; I just used 4 bars & didn’t measure)
3 Tbsp. essential oil

Mix. Use 2 Tbsp. per load. For an extra-large or extra-dirty load, use 4 Tbsp. This will do 288 “regular” loads, 144 “large or extra-dirty” loads, or something in between. I use 4 Tbsp. in diapers and 2 Tbsp. in nearly everything else.

Wonder Spray

This is an all-purpose cleaner. It originated somewhere on the web, but I’m not sure where. It works really well, but I have trouble with it clogging my spray bottle sometimes. I don’t use the essential oil, largely because I never HAD any when I was mixing it up.

Using a 16-ounce trigger spray bottle, mix 2 Tbsp. white vinegar with 1 Tbsp. borax. Fill most of the rest of the spray bottle with very hot tap water. Shake until borax is dissolved. Add 1/4 c. liquid soap or detergent LAST. If you want to, you can add 10-15 drops of essential oil to scent it.

Miscellaneous Tips

A friend from an online bulletin board told me the other day that shampoo can be used to clean bathtubs. That made sense to me, so I tried it and it worked GREAT. Smear the shampoo across the bottom of the bathtub and let it sit for a while. (Make sure no one gets IN the bathtub in the meantime, or it could be dangerous!) This will require far less scrubbing than bathroom cleaner because the shampoo is designed to break down body oils, which is what that scum in the bottom of the bathtub mainly is.

I put baking soda, borax, etc. in old parmesan cheese containers. They make great dispensers for abrasives, as the lids have a “pouring” side and a “sprinkling” side. (I use the Wal-Mart brand of grated parmesan. The tops screw on and off for filling/refilling.)

[Added 9/21/2009] I have recently begun hearing mixed reports regarding the safety of borax.  My own perspective on this is that, unless we are going to clean exclusively with food, our cleaning products will never be 100% free from all risk of any form of harm.  So at this point, we still use borax (‘though generally only as a booster in other products).  You will, of course, have to use your own judgment for your own family.]