natural cleaning and the one product I can't live without

up until yesterday, the last time my apartment was fully cleaned was when Steph visited the first weekend in March. there were times when my kitchen looked almost like this picture (except that I'm much better about stacking dishes up so that they look like less of a mess). while no one would ever ask me for cleaning advice, I usually attempt to keep dirty things clean. clutter is fine, dirty is not. we've talked about this before.
my problem is this: every year, right around the end of winter, I stop. I stop cleaning, I stop picking up, and I stop caring. this lasts about 2 months, or until it becomes consistently, relatively warm. then I freak out and have 2 months worth of cleaning to do, not to mention all the crazy spring cleaning I decide I need to do.
so this week, I have been cleaning like mad. that's right, the slump is over! I finished all of the dishes. I wiped off the stove for the first time in I don't know how long. and by wipe, I mean scrubbed with various cleaning agents for about 15 minutes until I got all the burned on crap and grease off of it. I cleaned the bathroom thoroughly (the past 2 months there were a lot of Clorox wipes bathroom cleanings). I even cleaned out the oven and the oven racks. that hurt (literally). I inhaled oven cleaner accidentally and spent the next 24 hours feeling like I was having an asthma attack. and albuterol did nothing for it!
because of things like that, I've been on a huge all natural cleaning product spree for awhile now. I decided in January that I was going to introduce no new chemicals into the house. I'd use what we had, and from then on, it's all about vinegar, baking soda, and borax. if I'm so concerned about what goes into my body, why am I not concerned about what touches my food from the counters? or the fumes I breathe? or the environment that I'm dumping all this crap into? and my poor kitties lick everything - I don't want them sickened by my (gone-by-the-wayside) obsession with bleach. turns out that vinegar is just as good of a disinfectant as bleach, and it doesn't smell once it dries. I know you probably don't believe me (because I didn't believe it when I read that), but it's true. there are some biodegradable, non-toxic brands out there (Method, Seventh Generation to name a couple), but they're pricey.

but there's one thing I can't let go of. it's my Arm&Hammer Pet Odor Control Carpet Foam (or something like that). it's a foam spray that you put on the carpet. aside from smelling super yummy (like a fresh spring day), it somehow magically breaks the static between pet hair and your carpet! vacuuming becomes more effective! and the bonus is laughing at the cats as they full out run from the noise it makes (think aerosol air freshener. freaks 'em out every time.). I don't know if I'm actually vacuuming up more hair, but the smell is enough to convince me that I can't live without it. luckily, it's not distributed by Proctor&Gamble, so I guess I can deal.

I know I didn't want to just throw away these cleaners (kinda defeats the purpose of not introducing them into the environment), but I really don't think I will EVER use oven cleaner again. seriously, it's the most noxious thing I have ever encountered. anyone have tips for disposing of hazardous chemicals?

oh, and if you ever need to know how to stir up a recipe for jewelry cleaner/window cleaner/carpet cleaner/etc., lemme know! I'm on it.