Cyndi Raskin never thought much about the chemicals in her cleaning supplies until three years ago, when her baby playfully snatched her mom's wash cloth and began cleaning both her tub and herself. That led Raskin to worry about the residues left behind by her cleaning supplies: Was her daughter rubbing scouring powder into her skin? Was she bathing in a chemical soup?

Raskin, 35, got rid of her commercial cleaners and found that she could clean virtually the entire house with pantry staples that were safe enough to eat: vinegar, baking soda and warm water. Undiluted vinegar, she says, cleans mirrors without streaking, or strong odors, once it dries, but costs as little as a penny an ounce.

And while Raskin still keeps a close eye on her now 3-year-old daughter, who likes to wipe down the countertops, the Dunedin, Fla., mother says she feels much safer.

Experts in growing numbers are also advising a "green" approach to cleaning.

Many conventional cleaners are made with petroleum and are among the "most common and worrisome pollutants" in American streams, says Stanford University School of Medicine pediatrician Alan Greene, author of "Raising Baby Green."

Like Greene, a growing number of doctors are concerned that chemicals used to make homes cleaner could actually make them sick.

Household cleaners prompted a quarter of all calls to poison control centers in New York City last year, according to a March report.

Across the country, 80,000 kids go to emergency rooms each year because of accidental poisoning, and about 30 children die, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. About 70 percent of nonfatal poisonings involve children ages 1 to 2.

But Greene says these cleaners could be risky even when used correctly.

Conventional cleaners often contain volatile organic compounds whose fumes can trigger asthma attacks and irritate the eyes, nose and respiratory passages, says Maida Galvez, a pediatrician and environmental health specialist at New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Fumes may even harm children before birth, Greene says. One study found that the children of women who did the most window cleaning while pregnant were more likely to wheeze than other kids.

Children may be more vulnerable to air pollution than adults, says Urvashi Rangan, a scientist with Consumers Union and director of GreenerChoices.org, which has recipes for many home-made cleaners.

Because of their tiny size, kids inhale 50 percent more air per pound, Rangan says. They also expose themselves to more chemical residues when they crawl on the floor or put things in their mouths.

Common household chemicals may also affect children's reproductive systems, Greene says.

Fragrances in cleaning supplies and air fresheners commonly contain chemicals called phthalates, which interfere with the male hormone system and have been linked to genital abnormalities in baby boys. Some cleaning supplies contain chemicals that may lower sperm counts, Greene says.

The good news, doctors say, is that harsh chemicals are rarely needed to kill germs.

When it comes to health, consumers really only need bleach or other harsh chemicals for messes involving blood or bodily fluids that can spread infections, says infectious disease specialist Aaron Glatt, a professor at New Island Hospital in New York.

Although homemakers may have to work a little harder, elbow grease — the mechanical labor of scrubbing — often disinfects just well as chemical solutions.

"Some of the cleaning agents out there are overkill, literally and figuratively," Glatt says.