This book is more of a manual/reference book than a sit-down-and-read-it-all-at-once, but it is packed with lots of good information that I have already found myself using. I borrowed from the library but this would be a good book to own.

This had a lot of good information in it but was really repetitive. Had it been more simply organized, it would make a great handy reference. The author does include resources and websites for some of the products and tools that she recommends, which I appreciated. Probably one of the best (new) tips I picked up from this book was that there are places, such as Mail Boxes Etc, that accept packing peanuts and reuse them. I don't know why I never thought to ask! I have bags of that stuff in my garage I've been trying to find a use for.

Useful and informative, especially for someone who has never thought about the chemicals in their home and how they might be affecting their nervous system and health.

I would buy this as a reference manual for the house. Very dry style but lots of good information.

Very detailed and covers every aspect of housekeeping in encourages an environmentally sound and health conscious lifestyle in every detail of your household. Great resource.

3/18/11 Okay, this is a little creepy, but I totally just reread this, cover to cover! I love that she is a dog person. I love the down to earth cleaning advice. Since reading it the first time, I've started drying my clothes on the line and using baking soda and vinegar for most cleaning, and I'm just as sketched out as ever about all of the chemicals we use everyday.

This book is surprisingly comprehensive - a great reference.


*****

From 6/4/10: I didn't expect to find much of interest here, since ... how do I put this? ... I don't really clean. Ever. I mean, I wash the dishes, but I never mop - isn't that what dogs are for? I don't need a book to remind me of all of the tasks I never perform.

But I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book is about a lot more than the best way to scrub the tub, and ended up getting quite a few good ideas from the book for greener and cheaper living. Inspired by this book, I finally installed a clothesline in our backyard, and bought some dishrags with scrubbies to use on dishes.

I also took note of her method of getting a duvet inside a duvet cover - she has a simple answer to this problem that I have been struggling with my whole life! Genius!

Anyway, I recommend this to anyone interested in green and frugal housekeeping or (shudder) cleaning.

Lovely book, real excellent and interesting facts, very good book, I would recommend it to anybody whom is very green and loves gardening.

I found this to be a great reference guide to all sorts of household cleaning routines and special problems. Although vinegar, other natural ingredients and their uses are explained in great detail, I was a little disappointed not to find any straightforward cleaning solution "recipes". Maybe this is because they are plentiful on the internet.

While I did find some new ideas to try, it would be impossible to accomplish or switch to an organic method for everything listed in this book. Hence, this is best used as a reference guide.

I did appreciate the reinforcement on personal products- bath soaps and washes, cleansers, all makeup products and perfumes- which are not regulated by the FDA and many of which contain very dangerous substances which are known to cause cancer and are banned in Europe and other countries. But this chapter was too short for my taste and the recommended products list was too.

i think this is supposed to be used as a reference book, but i just picked it up and read most of it straight through. try cleaning your rugs in the snow and throwing away your sponges. there are lots of good ideas like that in here.

I loved this book to the extent that I'm going to buy a copy to have on hand. There's chapters on reducing clutter, waste prevention and numerous "maintenance" tips for various parts of your house. I love the recipes for creating your own cleaning supplies.

I went ahead and bought this book because it is awesome. I tried just making note cards but i had gobs of notes. Everyone must read this book!
I am going to read it again now that I am going to move into a different home with different land..

It's as though your grandmother were giving you advice on how to keep house, but with the influence of the modern world.