Many "green" cleaning supplies are available in your local stores -- you just need a little label savvy to spot them.

Here are her pointers:

When shopping for paper goods, choose those with the highest "post consumer waste" content you can find, either unbleached or whitened without chlorine.

Replace paraffin candles, which are made from crude oil, with cleaner-burning soy or beeswax ones.

Select biodegradable bags or those made with at least 65 percent recycled content.

Compact fluorescent bulbs use one-quarter the energy of incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer.

Buy prepared basics or mix your own cleaners using common ingredients.

Flannel cloths, for dusting or wet cleaning, can be washed and reused.

Try cellulose or natural sea sponges instead of plastic ones. Old toothbrushes come in handy for cleaning grout.