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For those of you inspired by all of the Earth Day discussions to do something good for your home this weekend, you can start out small, just by doing a thorough dusting, vacuuming and laundering. Dust mites are living in your carpets, your bedding and your upholstered furniture, and you can do a lot to lessen their numbers by airing out your comforters, pounding your pillows and couch cushions, and steam cleaning your carpets. If you wake up with a stuffy nose, it may not be the springtime gardens awakening your allergies. It might be the dust mites that have become your winter roommates.

Based on your budget, your dollars are best spent on making changes to your bedroom—the carpet, mattress, covers, pillows, drapes—they’re all ripe for a more sustainable makeover. Painting any interior walls with low VOC (volatile organic components) paint means that you’re reducing the release of low-level toxic emissions into your home environment for years to come.

Flooring? If you’re going to strip a hardwood floor that already exists, better check for products that will do the job without adding more chemicals to your life.

The lesson from this week’s interview with Nick Greene is to research everything, and don’t let a green label fool you. Green is THE word this season, but make sure that some other words go along with it: like sustainable, organic and non-toxic. Know what your choices are, and what they cost—in terms of your wallet and your health.