Originally published in NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) Organic gardening avoids the use of chemicals to make plants grow or protect them from insects, relying instead on natural gardening principles used for thousands of years. Permaculture organic gardening goes a step further and also emphasizes growing plants sustainably, working with rather than against the grain of the natural environment. Permaculture organic gardening is growing in popularity as more people realize that it offers an inexpensive and relatively low-maintenance way to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Dangerous bleach, ammonia, and alcohol make up most household cleaning products. For options that don’t leave a chemical residue, stay away from store-bought concoctions and go au naturale. You’ve probably got these simple products in your kitchen already: baking soda, vinegar, lemon, club soda and cornstarch. As an extra bonus, these cleaning agents are often more affordable than store-bought brands. Follow these hints and you’ll feel safe enough to eat off the floor—literally.

One of the most basic items you can use in maintaining a green home is baking soda. Bicarbonate of soda, a naturally occurring mineral in our bodies, the earth, even the ocean, is useful in every area of our life. From a cleaning agent to a leavening agent, for your upset stomach to your deodorant, even extinguishing kitchen fires, baking soda functions in every room of the house.

Winter is upon us; and, with our homes closed up, there is a danger that we can be at risk to mold and mildew and their accompanying health effects. Mold is a fungus and is part of nature’s way of breaking down dead organic matter in the outdoor world. Mold can survive the cold of space, as well as high temperatures. It is when mold comes indoors that it can play havoc on our homes and our health. Overexposure to high spore levels can cause breathing problems, congestion, hay fever, and allergies––just to name a few.