Wintertime means stale and often polluted indoor air. During winter months, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that we are exposed to air pollutants two to five times more indoors than outdoors. These pollutants are concentrated when we use them indoors with little ventilation. This fact prompted New York state legislators to phase out toxic chemicals in schools and require that all cleaning products be "environmentally friendly."

Some schools that have been using green cleaning products for several years have noted that indoor air quality has improved, students' attention spans have increased and absenteeism has declined.

"Children are especially vulnerable to indoor air pollutants because of their size and age," notes Patti Wood, executive director of the Grassroots Environmental Education. The Long Island, N.Y., nonprofit has lobbied for even stricter guidelines on school cleaning products. "If there is a single ingredient in any cleaning product that will cause an asthma attack, it would be a fragrance," says Wood. "There are a lot of children with asthma in our schools."

In our homes, the leading cause of indoor air pollution is (surprise!) the dishwasher. That convenient, labor-saving device is actually the most toxic appliance in your home. Researchers at the EPA and the University of Texas documented through 30 experiments that the superheated water in dishwashers can cause chloroform, radioactive radon and other pollutants to become airborne in your home. Dishwashers vent about 6 liters of air per minute into your home during the wash cycle. That means they continuously release water-borne toxins into your air, sometimes in one huge burst of contaminated steam if you open the door too early.

To protect yourself and your indoor air quality try these simple steps:

— Phase out household cleaning products that are not all-natural.

— Use chlorine-free, phosphate-free dishwashing soap.

— Ventilate your kitchen while the dishwasher is running. Even simply opening a window will help.

— Select the "no-heat dry" option on your dishwasher if it is available. If it's not, keep your dishwasher sealed shut for at least an hour after it has finished.

Before we became so reliant on chemistry, we used to clean our homes with natural cleansers. Try restocking your cleaning cabinet with these natural and nontoxic alternatives:

— Pure vegetable or castile soap can replace shampoo, hand soap, clothes detergent and dish detergent. It is gentler on your skin, clothes and the environment.

— Vinegar cuts grease and removes mildew, is a brick/stone cleaner, and cleans windows without streaking. Drizzle it on top of a little baking soda to scour a toilet or clean a dirty bathtub.

— Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a gentle abrasive powder for stovetops and shiny surfaces. It will extinguish a grease fire and deodorize your home without adding a fragrance, and can be used as a toothpaste or deodorant.

— Borax is a mineral that can inhibit mildew, remove stains, work with soap as a clothes detergent and be mixed with sugar to kill cockroaches.

— Cornstarch makes an excellent window cleaner or furniture polish when diluted with water. In its powder form, use it to shampoo carpets and starch clothes.

— Washing Soda is a heavy-duty cleaner for burned pans, grills and ovens.

Here are a few recipes to replace common household cleaners with an inexpensive nontoxic alternative:

— All-purpose cleaner can be made from dissolving 4 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of warm water.

— Spray disinfectant can be made by filling an empty spray bottle halfway with Isopropyl alcohol and filling it up with water.

— Drain cleaner can be made by pouring half a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by half a cup of vinegar. Do not try this if you have already used a commercial drain opener because the fumes would be toxic.

— Window cleaner can be made by refilling a spray bottle with equal parts of vinegar and water. Add cornstarch for stubborn dirt, and use newspapers to clean the windows. Remember not to clean windows on a sunny day, and you won't have any streaks.

Shawn Dell Joyce is an award-winning columnist and founder of the Wallkill River School in Orange County, N.Y. You can contact her at [email protected]. To find out more about Shawn Dell Joyce and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.