Many household cleaning products are chock-full of toxic chemicals. Not only does this make them nasty for the environment, but they can also be expensive – especially when people buy a different product for every little household task. Kitchen cleaner, bathroom cleaner, shower cleaner, glass cleaner – you know the range. Happily, you can save money and the environment by using everyday items to take care of almost all your cleaning needs.

Three of the most powerful natural miracle-workers in your home are also three of the humblest: baking soda, vinegar and lemons. Using one or more of these three, you can clean almost anything and enjoy a fresher home, the clean, green, cheap way.

Baking soda (also known as bicarbonate of soda)

1. Get scouring. Mix the soda with water to form a paste and use it to scrub sinks and baths. They’ll be perfectly clean.
   
2. Scratch-free clean. A light paste of baking soda and water can also be used to brighten up aluminium, chrome, jewellery, plastic, porcelain, silver, stainless steel and tin, and it won't scratch.
   
3. Deodorising. Baking soda is a great deodoriser. Put a bowl in the fridge or sprinkle some in shoes or trainers. Likewise, freshen up rugs or carpets by sprinkling baking soda on them and vacuuming it up after a few hours. Sprinkle a layer of baking soda in the bottom of the bin or in the cat litter tray to help absorb whiffs; shake a little over old books to get rid of that musty smell.
   
4. Oven cleaner. Cover the base of the oven in a layer of baking soda and leave for eight hours. It should absorb all grease, and the oven can then be wiped clean.
   
5. Bathroom freshener. To clean vinyl shower curtains, sprinkle baking soda onto a clean, damp sponge and scrub the curtain. Once rinsed, hang out to dry.
   
6. Clean drains. Smelly drains? Add baking soda to boiling water and pour the mixture down the plugholes in kitchen and bathroom sinks.
   
7. Sparkling surfaces. Dissolve baking soda in warm water to clean countertops and laminated floors.
   
8. Stain removal. Spilled red wine on clothes, soft furnishings or carpet? Mix baking soda with water and apply to the stain, which should lift. Now you can relax and enjoy the rest of the wine.
   
9. Good as new microwave. Smelly and stained microwaves come back to life after a quick wipe with a damp sponge dipped in baking soda.
   
10. Odour-free. Been filleting fish or chopping garlic? Remove the odour from your hands by washing with baking soda and warm water.

Vinegar

1. Cleaner sprays. Mix one part white vinegar with one part water, fill a spray bottle (which can be bought in any garden centre) and you have an all-purpose cleaner that will clean, disinfect and deodorise surfaces all over the house, including worktops, floors and appliances. Do not, however, use it on marble! And don't worry about the smell, which will evaporate.
   
2. Fresh loo. Pour undiluted vinegar into the toilet bowl to deodorise it and get rid of stains. Scrub with a loo brush and flush.
   
3. Miracle mould remover. There's nothing more unsightly than nasty mould on bathroom tiles, but neat vinegar will kill and remove it straight away. Try a small area first to make sure it doesn't damage the tiles.
   
4. Descaling solution. White vinegar is also a great descaler. Wipe it on draining boards or soak shower heads in it. Leave some in the kettle overnight, but remember to boil a full kettle of fresh water afterwards and pour it away. A half-and-half mix of water and vinegar in your iron will also descale it – just let the mixture steam out.
   
5. Shining cups. Soak tannin-stained cups and mugs with a half-water, half-vinegar mixture for a few minutes. Rinse and enjoy a relaxing cuppa from a sparkling cup. 
   
6. Stain-free clothes. Instead of using stain removers, spray or dab neat vinegar on deodorant marks, collar stains and other stains on clothes just before washing.
   
7. Cheap and eco-friendly softener. Add half a cup of vinegar to your washing machine's rinse cycle instead of fabric softener.
   
8. Rinse aid. White vinegar can also be used in your dishwasher as a rinse aid. Freeze a couple of cubes in an ice-cube tray and place in the bottom of the dishwasher before turning it on.
   
9. Pet pong be gone. Not only will white vinegar remove the smell of pet urine from carpets and soft furnishings, it should deter Fido or Fluff from making the same mistake in the same place.
   
10. Window cleaner. Either neat or mixed with water, vinegar can also be used to clean windows and mirrors. Rub down afterwards with crumpled newspaper for a gleaming, smear-free finish.

Lemons

1. Metal tarnish remover. Mix lemon juice with salt and use the paste to clean copper or brass, or to remove the tarnish from stainless steel. Simply rub on with a cloth, rinse well and dry immediately.
   
2. Whitener. White clothes can be brightened overnight by soaking them in a basin of water with a cup of lemon juice in it.
   
3. Scented microwave. Put a few slices of lemon in a bowl of water and cook on high power for a minute or two to get rid of any lingering smells in the microwave.
   
4. Home freshener. You can also leave a few slices in boiling water anywhere in your home to leave it smelling sweet. Get innovative and add other naturally-scented ingredients such as cinnamon sticks or cloves to make your own air freshener.
   
5. Mildew solution. Cover the offending item with a mix of lemon juice and salt, leave for an hour and then scrub off with a sponge and hot water.
   
6. Tough cleaning. Wipe down shower or glass doors using lemon juice and a sponge. Not only will it cut through the build-up of soap scum, hard water deposits and general gunk, but it's anti-bacterial too.
   
7. Ink stain remover. Ink stains on fabric? You can lift them by covering with a mixture of lemon juice and cream of tartar. Once it has dried, just wash the fabric as usual.
   
8. Grease remover. Grease can build up on the wooden doors of kitchen presses. Get rid of it by wiping down with a mixture of hot water and lemon juice.
   
9. Tomato stain remover. Plastic containers can be badly stained by tomato-based sauces. To restore them, just rub the stains with lemon juice and leave them to sit in the sun for a day (if you're lucky enough to get a sunny day!).
   
10. Chopping board odour removal. Cut a lemon in half and rub it over a wooden chopping board to neutralise lingering onion and garlic smells.