People are becoming more concerned with the impact everyday household chemicals have on our waterways. Even if you choose cleaning products marketed as environmentally responsible, there’s still the packaging which often goes straight to landfill.

Even more worrying is the impact on our health — especially kids who are more vulnerable to the toxic effects of common household chemicals. Since 1950 over 70,000 new chemical compounds have been created and dispersed into our environment, only a fraction tested for toxicity.

In 1999-2000 there were 3711 hospitalisations of Australian children aged 0-14 for accidental poisoning, half of this due to cleaning products, herbicides and pesticides. While the full extent of the risks are unclear, symptoms of long-term exposure to cleaning products can include migraine, nausea, depression and high blood pressure, all the way to immune system disorders such as food allergies and asthma.

The good news is that you don’t need to buy expensive “ecofriendly” cleaning products to keep your house and the environment clean. There are plenty of cheap, traditional ways to get rid of dirt and mould, and you really only need six ingredients: lemon juice, washing soda, borax (sodium borate), white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda (or baking powder) and pure soap (also known as castile soap).

White vinegar cuts grease and is a deodoriser and mild disinfectant. Mixed with warm water it is a good all-purpose cleaner and great for cleaning windows. You can also use pure soap to wash your dishes and add vinegar to the rinse water to give your glasses an extra shine. Bicarbonate of soda softens water and is a good scouring and deodorising powder. You can use it to deodorise and soak up stains on your carpet, clean ceramic tiles, sinks and benchtops, or even as a chrome polish for your car. It will clear the build-up on car battery terminals. A paste of bicarb, salt and hot water will also make a great non-caustic oven cleaner.

Borax is a natural mineral salt that can be used to kill mould and control pests such as ants and cockroaches. It also cleans, bleaches and disinfects. Mixed into a paste with lemon juice it makes an effective toilet bowl cleaner, and in your wash it can whiten whites and brighten colours.

To make an environmentally safe laundry detergent, mix a third of a cup of washing soda with a third of a grated cake of unscented laundry soap. Dissolved in hot water in a bucket, it sets to a soft gel. You need to use two to three cups per wash.

There is literally a cheap and non-toxic solution for every household cleaning problem. Check out council websites, www.livingthing.net.au and library books on natural cleaning alternatives.

If the old-fashioned way seems too much work, affordable “green” products are available in supermarkets. Earth Choice, for example, has a wide range of products that are low in sodium and are phosphate and ammonia-free. Planet Ark also supports a limited range of greener products available at your local supermarket.

For more articles about financing property and money see ninemsn Money