Raid pantry to clean your house

Tired of chemical cleaners? Try these "green" methods to clean around the house. They come courtesy of "Haley's Hints Green Edition" (NAL Trade, $14, 224 pages) by Graham and Rosemary Haley and "Mrs. Meyer's Clean Home" (Wellness Central, $19.99, 240 pages) by Thelma Meyer.

In the kitchen:

Appliances: Sprinkle with baking soda, spritz with water and scrub. The soda removes grime, grease and odors. Rinse with plain water. Inside the refrigerator, keep an open box of baking soda to absorb odors. After three months, put that used baking soda down the garbage disposal to freshen it.

Counters: Spritz with 1 cup of white vinegar mixed with 1 cup of warm water. Wipe dry.

Wood cutting board: Cut a lemon in half. Sprinkle the board with salt. Use the cut lemon as a scrubber with the salt.

To deodorize a lunch box or other food container: Soak a piece of white bread in a quarter-cup white vinegar. Put the bread in the lunch box or container. Close. Let sit for two hours. Remove bread and rinse lunch box or container.

Removing rust from baking pans: Scrub with half of a raw potato sprinkled with powdered soap. Or soak rust marks overnight in cola.

Aluminum pots and pans: To remove discoloration, mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with 1-1/2 tablespoons cream of tartar. Add to pot with 4 cups of water and heat over low heat. Simmer until stains disappear. For residue at bottom of pan, pour in a half-cup each of white vinegar and hot water. Let soak three hours, then wash.

Copper cleaning: For the copper bottom of pots, sprinkle salt and lemon juice or vinegar over bottom and rub lightly, then wash.

Cast-iron cookware: To clean inside of pan, sprinkle with salt and wipe. For outside of pan, wipe with waxed paper while still a bit warm.

In the bathroom:

Chrome: Dampen a cloth with white vinegar and rub faucets. Or use strong black tea that has been steeping in the pot; that shines chrome and cuts grease, too. Or rub fixtures with a half lemon dipped in salt.

Porcelain: Rub with soft cloth sprinkled with salt.

Bathtub ring: Add a half-cup of baking soda to the tub of water. Let sit a few minutes before emptying.

Enamel: White vinegar removes mold and soap scum. Wipe it on with a soft cloth and rinse with warm water. To remove stains, make a paste of cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide. Apply it, let sit a few minutes, then rinse clean.