Healthy alternatives to traditional medicine may be a fad now, but learning to live well independently is a life-long pursuit.

The more naturally we live, the more we can protect our already stressed immune systems..and the environment. While you may breathe the bad air in your enclosed office or industrial plant or consume by inhalation exhaust and gasoline fumes rising from our tar-based pavements, if possible, go home to real food and air. Here you can choose natural soaps, and your dinner won't be coming out of a plastic container from the freezer. People have been so successfully marketed, they ignore the fact when buying packaged food that most of the manufacturer's money was spent on marketing and packaging rather than quality. Try not to buy anything with hydrogenated oils which is, unfortunately, most of the commercial foods in the market that contain oil.

Non detergent cleaner: 1/4 cup each of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, 20 Mule Team Borax (Dial Corp) stirred into a container of very hot water. When the powders are dissolved, add plain white vinegar. I use this for washing dishes, laundry, floors, and walls. I don't use it for graywater for use on plants because of the salts in these cleaners. And I don't use it on windows because it would require too much rinsing to get the soap off. (For use on plants as graywater, I use Oasis dish soap and laundry soap.)
I've even used this in carpet cleaning machines with good results and no chemicals for children to breath in as they play on the carpet. For scent, you could add lemon juice or a powdered crystal such as frankincense or even vanilla. If a disinfectant is needed, add vodka or Everclear. I don't actually recommend carpet since it harbors so many critters, molds, etc. I use rugs small enough to be washed, because it's impractical to shampoo the carpet often enough to keep it clean, especially if your pets lay on the carpet.