And with Earth Day just days away, there is no better time than now to begin thinking about cleaning green.

But before you start buying all these eco-friendly cleaning products, what is the first thing you should do?

"Create a cleaning plan in your mind," said Teresa Corral of Alexandra's Home Services. "It doesn't have to be anything elaborate, just an idea of what really needs cleaning. I've been cleaning homes here since 1979 and it pays to be time efficient. I've found that most people do a fairly good job of keeping their homes clean throughout the year, but only do serious cleaning, like a spring clean, maybe once or twice a year. My first suggestion is to always start at the top with high dusting, because most regular cleaning only goes about 6 feet high. That means dusting pot shelves along with all those decorative pieces and artificial flowers. Dust from the top down to the baseboards, do the windows inside and out, and the blinds, shutters and window sills. Save the vacuuming until the end. And don't forget to wash the dishes."

Did she say dishes? Bill Van de Graaf knows all about washing dishes; he is general manager for Colgate-Palmolive's new ecological gel dishwasher detergent, the first mass-marketed green dishwasher detergent.

"Most commercial automatic dishwasher detergents contain sodium tripolyphosphate, also known as phosphate," he said. "This is an ingredient that may harm lakes and streams. Colgate's Palmolive eco+ has been formulated to be phosphate-free, yet still deliver clean dishes. This means consumers are taking a small, eco-friendly step as part of their weekly cleaning routines."

Phosphorous is a nutrient that is essential to the growth of plants, but too much of a good thing can be harmful. Too much phosphorus, dumped into lakes and streams from automatic dishwashers, throws off the natural balance of phosphors in the waterways. According to Van de Graaf, a U.S. Geological Survey regarding the effects of phosphates on water quality shows enriched phosphorus levels can accelerate the growth of algae and other plants that impair the water's suitability for municipal, recreational and fishery use.

"There are many natural ways to clean," Corral said. "A few simple ingredients such as soap, water, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), vinegar, washing soda (sodium carbonate), lemon juice and borax can satisfy most household cleaning needs and save money at the same time. For instance, to remove stains from clothing, soak fabrics in water mixed with borax, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, washing soda or white vinegar. To clean windows, fill a spray bottle with water and either one-quarter cup white vinegar or one tablespoon lemon juice to cut grease. And white vinegar helps kill bacteria, mold and viruses."

Earlier this year, The Clorox Co. launched its Green Works line of natural cleaning products that are as effective as conventional cleaners but are made from plant-based ingredients.

"Green Works is a breakthrough product for Clorox and for consumers who want to clean naturally but don't want to compromise on performance," said Don Knauss, chairman and chief executive officer. "During the past several years, Clorox has been developing a formula that would clean better and possess the highest levels of natural ingredients. We achieved this with Green Works."

The line is at least 99 percent natural and made from ingredients derived from coconuts and lemon oil. The products are formulated to be biodegradable and nonallergenic, and are packaged in bottles that can be recycled.

There are many other companies producing green cleaning products for all rooms in the home including Aubrey Organics, Bio Pac, BioShield, Ecover, Naturally Yours, Seventh Generation, Shaklee and Vermont Soapworks.

The Middlebury, Vt.-based Vermont Soapworks has been making natural and organic soap products since 1992 and say its Liquid Sunshine is certified by the United States Department of Agriculture to be an organic, nontoxic alternative to chemical cleaners.

"Made from renewable and organic vegetable and botanical sources including saponified organic coconut, olive and jojoba oils, essential oils, organic aloe vera and rosemary extract, Liquid Sunshine is extraordinarily mild, hypoallergenic, all-natural and good for your skin. Because Liquid Sunshine is made with natural citrus essential oils, it has a brisk and cheerful aromatherapy scent," according to a company spokesman.

Although green cleaning products are now finding their ways to the masses, they are not new and have been used commercially for decades, said Mike Krieg, director of sales and marketing for Naturally Yours. In fact, the company's products were part of the California city of Santa Monica's initial Heal the Bay program nearly 23 years ago.

In addition to making sure its products are nontoxic and biodegradable, Krieg said Naturally Yours uses renewable resources for all its raw materials and as much organic, natural and recyclable material as possible for its packaging -- "down to the labels and inks used."

Jeffrey Hollender, chief executive officer of Seventh Generation, advises consumers to be alert to "greenwashing."

"Just because a product says it is natural doesn't mean it's nontoxic," he explained. "The word natural is undefined and unregulated by the government and can be applied to just about anything, including plastic which comes from naturally occurring petroleum. Therefore, because no standards exist, claims such as 'nontoxic' and 'environmentally friendly' can be meaningless."