…the grocery store aisles, that is.

I have been reading two very informative books on simplifying the household cleaning chores. The first book, Organic Housekeeping, by Ellen Sandbeck, I discussed here earlier. The other book is Green This!, by Deidre Imus. Both are full of suggestions for how to eliminate the toxins in your cleaning routine and Ms. Imus goes into detail on why we do not want these toxins in our homes.

Reading these books and following the cleaning suggestions described by these two ladies can seem like a daunting big step if taken in all at once. But even big bites can be broken down into little nibbles.

One of the steps toward healthier housekeeping is acquiring the right ingredients. So, here is Baby Step No. 1. – the next time you are in the grocery store, big up the following:

• A large bottle of distilled white vinegar. Look for the kind that specifically says it is main from grain. Vinegar can also be produced as a petroleum by-product, so unless the bottle says “from grain”, we may not know the actual origin. Heinz is one example.
• a large box of baking soda.
• Optional: a bottle of distilled water.

All of the above should add less than $5 to your grocery bill. If you want to stretch this Baby Step a bit further, also pick up an empty spray bottle, preferably with a trigger similar to those used for glass cleaners.

That is all there is to to Baby Step No. 1.