Are "Earth-friendly" cleaning products better than traditional cleaners? Depends on whom you ask.

How do petrochemicals in commercial cleaning products affect nonrenewable resources?

• Cleaning101.com, the Web site of the Soap and Detergent Association:

Out of the annual worldwide production of crude oil and natural gas, less than four hours is needed to produce a one-year supply of cleaning products, so there’s an ample supply for well into the future.

• Seventhgen.com, the Seventh Generation cleaning-product Web site:

Every time we use a petrochemical cleaning product, we contribute to the pollution caused by drilling, transporting and refining petroleum, and we further deplete an important global resource whose supplies are expected to disappear around the year 2050.

Which are safer, traditional commercial cleaners or homemade products made with edible ingredients such as vinegar and baking soda?

• Cleaning101.com: Commercially formulated cleaning products are tested, packaged and labeled in accordance with standards set by such government agencies as the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. The label typically provides the consumer with instructions on how to treat accidental exposures. Such safety assurances may not exist for mix-at-home recipes.

• Thegreenguide.com, from the Green Guide Institute, an independent research and information organization affiliated with National Geographic

Ingredients with high toxicity include chlorine bleach and ammonia, which produce fumes that are highly irritating to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs and should not be used by people with asthma or lung or heart problems.

Is it necessary to use strong chemicals such as chlorine bleach to disinfect such surfaces as cutting boards?

• Cleaning101.com: Most mix-at-home recipes have no disinfectant properties at all. Particularly when there are health-related reasons for using a disinfectant, such as on a cutting board that might be contaminated with salmonella, consumers should recognize that only EPA-registered disinfectants have been tested for their ability to kill germs.

• Thegreenguide.com: Household surfaces can be adequately cleaned using hot, soapy water and a little elbow grease. Wash all cutting boards, dishes, knives and other surfaces that touch raw meat or eggs in hot, soapy water before using for other foods that will not be cooked.