Clean Your Home Naturally

(Dr. Weil's newsletter)
Looking for a cost-effective, safe way to keep your home clean, naturally? Ditch the overpriced, artificially-scented cleaners and try these four common household items:

1. Olive oil: Use it to lubricate and polish wood furniture. Simply mix three parts olive oil to one part vinegar, or two parts olive oil to one part lemon juice).
2. Potatoes: Halved potatoes can remove rust from baking pans or tinware - dip the potato in salt before scrubbing or follow with a salt scrub.
3. White vinegar: There are plenty of uses for this household mainstay: It cleans linoleum floors and glass (from windows to shower doors) when mixed with water and a little liquid soap (castile or vegetable); cuts grease, removes stains and soap scum, and cleans toilets - add a bit of baking soda if you like. You can also use it as an antibacterial - pour undiluted down drains once a week, or add to water in a spray bottle to kill mold and mildew.
4. Tea tree oil: A useful alternative to chemical products, add 50 drops of this essential oil (found at health food stores) to a bucket of water to clean countertops and tile floors, and add it directly to vinegar/water solutions for its antibacterial properties, which are useful for killing mold and mildew in kitchens and bathrooms.