When cleaning day rolls around, you'd like to think you're getting rid of lots of undesirable things in your home-dirt and dust, of course, as well as bacteria, viruses, and other germs. But some cleaning products come with unhealthy ingredients in addition to that squeaky-clean scent. Jim Darr, a chemist at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), says there are a few things to look out for in home cleaning products. Some products can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can affect your indoor air quality and your health. You'll also want to be mindful of words on the label such as corrosive or irritating. Darr says there isn't any need for a corrosive product in basic home cleaning.

Think about the environmental consequences of your cleaning products. Surfactants, the substances that give a product its cleaning power, have been identified as possible endocrine disrupters, and have been shown to have effects on the reproductive systems of aquatic life. (There are plenty of safer, plant-based alternatives out there.) Phosphorous and nitrogen are nutrients that, when flushed down the drain, affect the algae content in bodies of water. Look for products without them. Companies are not required to disclose the ingredients of their products on the label-only the safety hazards-so you might want to do some research online before you shop.

On the brighter side, look for products that are biodegradable, and nontoxic to humans and aquatic life (remember, a lot of cleaning and personal-care products end up in our waterways). The packaging should be recyclable, and if the product comes in concentrated form, you'll be using less packaging, since you can refill the bottle you mix it in. Ideally, the packaging should contain post-consumer recycled material. Most of the products we tested don't come in packaging made from post-consumer waste, but the manufacturers say they hope to make this possible in the future.

We tested five green cleaners to see if they could mop up a marinara sauce spill as well as their harsher counterparts.

Seventh Generation Natural All Purpose Cleaner ($4.59)

This one quickly cleaned up our mess. We enjoyed its pleasant, earthy smell ("green mandarin and leaf"), and liked knowing we were keeping things safe for generations to come. Seventh Generation takes its name from a Native American law that says, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."

Seventh Generation uses vegetable-based surfactants, and the products are free of VOCs. This product does not contain anything corrosive and uses only natural plant essences as fragrances. The ingredients are nontoxic, biodegradable, and safe for humans and aquatic life. The packaging is recyclable, though it doesn't currently contain recycled content.

Shaklee Basic H2 All-Purpose Cleaner ($11.95)

This back-to-basics cleaning company offers its H2 cleaner in concentrated form, which can be used for several different purposes, such as an all-purpose cleaner, a degreaser, and a window cleaner. You just mix water with a bit of the concentrate (how much depends on the type of cleaner you want to make). This cleaned wonderfully, and had virtually no odor-just a faint, clean scent.

The Shaklee cleaner contains vegetable-based surfactants and no VOCs. The concentrate is nontoxic and biodegradable. Shaklee's packaging is recyclable.

Ecover Glass and Surface Cleaner ($4.08)

The Ecover spray did a great job of mopping up the spaghetti sauce. And for those who like to smell their cleaner, it did have a bit of a Windex-like odor.

Ecover uses surfactants made from coconut. The products contain no disinfectants or anything corrosive, and Ecover does not use synthetic fragrances. The ingredients are biodegradable and nontoxic to humans and aquatic life. Ecover's packaging is recyclable but not made from recycled content (though the boxes used for shipping are recycled).

Method All Purpose Surface Cleaner ($4)

Brighten up your kitchen with this boldly colored cleaner. We used the pink grapefruit version, which worked well (it's also available in cucumber, lavender, and unscented). It smells only faintly of grapefruit, which we liked, and it's available at national chain stores such as Target and Duane Reade.

Method's products contain surfactants that are derived from corn or coconut, and fragrances that are a blend of essential oils and synthetic ones. There are no disinfectants in the products and nothing corrosive. There isn't a concentrated form available, but the ingredients are nontoxic to humans and aquatic life, and they are biodegradable. The packaging is recyclable but does not contain any recycled content.

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Countertop Spray ($4.99)

Mrs. Meyer did the job as promised. The cute retro label on the package looks great on the countertop, but this cleaner had the strongest scent-something to be aware of if you're averse to odors. (We chose the geranium version, but it's also available in lavender and lemon verbena.)

Mrs. Meyer's products contain plant-derived surfactants and no VOCs. The fragrance comes from a blend of natural and synthetic sources. There are no disinfectants in the products and nothing corrosive. The countertop spray is available in concentrated form, which is sold as the All Purpose Cleaner. The ingredients are biodegradable and nontoxic. The packaging is recyclable and uses recycled content.

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