30 extraordinary tips for the greenest spring clean ever

Spring is in the air, so what better time to make a clean sweep of your home sweet home. Did you know that the quality of indoor air can be two to five times worse than outdoor air? But it's not the only health hazard lurking behind your front door. Those seemingly harmless dust bunnies may contain airborne toxins that can aggravate respiratory problems, as can many of the products we clean with, says Barbara MacKinnon, president and CEO of the New Brunswick Lung Association and vice-chair of environmental issues for the Canadian Lung Association. And disease-causing bacteria and germs multiply rapidly on everything -- door handles, chopping boards, you name it.

Make your home healthy
The good news is that a thorough spring cleaning can make your home healthier for you and your family. So throw open the windows, gather the troops and follow this room-by-room approach to getting rid of the nasties.

If anyone in your family has allergies or asthma, make decreasing the dust mite population in your home a top priority. An allergy to dust mites is responsible for some of the respiratory problems associated with dust, says Dr. Susan Waserman, an allergist at McMaster University in Hamilton. Common symptoms include nasal congestion, asthma and itchy, watery eyes. Since most beds contain millions of these microscopic critters, the bedroom is a good place to start your cleaning.

How to get rid of dust in the bedroom
1. Flip and vacuum the mattress and consider getting a mite-proof mattress cover.

2. Wash all bed linen, including duvets and blankets, in warm water using the presoaking cycle.

3. Vacuum carpeting and rugs weekly. A vacuum equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA)filter, which removes 99 per cent of dust, or a central vacuum system that's vented to the outside work best.

4. Wipe all surfaces with a damp cloth -- a dry cloth will just release the dust back into the air. Nothing beats a good microfibre cloth and water for cleaning, advises Reena Nerbas, author of Household Solutions 3 with Green Alternatives (Centax, 2009). "One quick wipe lifts off dirt, grease and dust without using any cleaning chemicals."

5. If you haven't replaced your pillows in the past two years, now's the time to do it. A two-year-old pillow can be composed of up to 10 per cent dust mite feces and carcasses -- yech!

6. Clear the room of dust-collecting clutter, including old magazines, books and knick-knacks.

7. "Avoid mothballs like the plague when you're putting away your winter wollies," advises Adria Vasil, author of Ecoholic Home (Vintage Canada, 2009). "They're loaded with naphthalene, a possible carcinogen." Try moth traps that contain natural moth pheromones (available at home improvement store).

Page 1 of 5 -- The smaller the bathroom, the easier it is for pollution concentrations to build up. Check out our expert advice on how to keep your bathroom squeaky clean on page 2.