(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Cleaning with commercial products can be hard - on you and the environment. To make your task simpler, cheaper and more Earth-friendly, take a trip to your pantry and concoct your own cleaning solutions from just a few items: vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda. These natural ingredients not only clean, but they also disinfect and deodorize.

Experts at The Maids (www.maids.com), the only franchised residential cleaning service to clean for health, offer the following tips for turning your spring cleaning into green cleaning.

Glass - Lemon juice is acidic and can cut through grease and grime. Add four tablespoons of lemon juice to a half-gallon of water and use the solution and an old cotton T-shirt to clean windows, mirrors and other glass objects.

Wood - Furniture polish usually contains petroleum and other toxic materials. For a green clean, make a two-to-one solution of olive oil and lemon juice and rub it onto wood items with a soft cotton cloth.

Flooring - A cup of vinegar in a gallon of warm water will clean most floors - ceramic tile, linoleum, sealed wood, or vinyl. Mop floors using only a small amount of the mixture; be sure not to saturate wood floors.

Bathrooms - Fill the bottom of the tub with hot tap water and pour in several cups of vinegar. Wait 20 minutes then scrub with a brush to remove grime. Place a water/vinegar mixture in a spray bottle and spritz shower curtains after each use to keep away mildew. A paste made with water and baking soda -- a mild abrasive - can be used to scrub stubborn grime in tubs and sinks.

Kitchen - Clean kitchen cabinets and other woodwork with a mixture of hot water and vinegar (in equal parts) and a few drops of olive oil. The vinegar will cut grease and grime and the olive oil will make the cabinets shine. A paste of baking soda and water cleans the inside of microwaves and refrigerators.

About The Maids:

Known for its 22-Step Healthy Touch® Deep Cleaning System, The Maids is the only franchised residential cleaning service to clean for health, combining environmentally preferable cleaning supplies and state-of-the-art equipment with a methodical process to maintain the healthiest living environment possible for families. The Maids enjoys a 96 percent customer referral rate, distinguishing them as the residential cleaning service of choice. Visit The Maids (www.maids.com) for more information.

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