The Fab Four: Salt, lemons, vinegar, and baking soda are the all-you-need all-stars of the home. From personal hygiene and grooming to household cleaning and gardening, this powerful quartet has a long and storied history of usefulness that is also utterly modern and of-the-moment—green, cheap, and effective. This comprehensive book of household hints for better living includes:

• brief histories and descriptions of all four ingredients
• hundreds of kitchen-, laundry-, personal-, household-, outdoor-, and pet-use solutions
• a handy housekeeping calendar
• quotations and fun facts
• educational activities for kids

One part science, one part practicality, and a dash of fun, this is the indispensable earth-friendly reference to have on hand in any home.

Shea Zukowski is an editor and writer specializing in earth-friendly information and natural living. She lives in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, with her husband and two sons.