If you're like us, "healthy home" means a token sweep beneath the couch, broccoli in the fridge and no firearms lying around. The experts, however, say otherwise. That's because every time you bring home the dry cleaning, spritz an air freshener or ignore a mouldy carpet in the basement, your home becomes a little more unhealthy. Fortunately, you don't have to pull a full Martha Stewart to get the new year off to a fresh start—just follow these easy steps.

Reduce your risk of asthma, lung cancer and miscarriage and ask smokers to take it outside. "Tobacco smoke is the No. 1 cause of indoor air-quality problems," says Kenneth Maybee, president and CEO of the New Brunswick Lung Association in Fredericton. Do it for your own health as well as for the kids. With their smaller lungs, they're more vulnerable to second-hand smoke.

Carpets act like sponges, sucking in dust, pesticide residue, bacteria, mould and dust mites, according to the Canadian Lung Association. Uncarpeted floors are best. Otherwise, consider short-pile, natural-fibre and washable area rugs. Also, get a vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate arrestance filter. These vacuums cost about $100 more, but they're worth it as they reduce dust by up to 99 per cent. Vacuum at least twice a week. Avoid carpeting on damp bathroom and concrete floors altogether.

Most pesticides contain toxic ingredients that have been linked to respiratory irritation, Parkinson's disease and cancer. Children are most at risk. Indoors, Richard Whate, toxics co-ordinator for the Toronto Environmental Alliance, recommends integrated pest management to combat cockroaches. This means using small amounts of strategically placed gels rather than random spraying. This method is offered by most pest control companies. Outdoors, go organic to avoid pesticides that can be tracked indoors on shoes and with children and pets.

Perchloroethylene, the toxic solvent used to dry clean clothes, is a suspected carcinogen that can stay in clothes for weeks, says Whate. You're wise to handwash clothes or use an environmentally friendly cleaning service that doesn't use perchloroethylene. Contact a local environmental group to find one. Home dry-cleaning products don't use perchloroethylene either, but are heavily fragranced and may provoke allergies or asthma. If you must use a traditional dry cleaner, air clothes thoroughly on a balcony, clothesline or in the shed before bringing them inside.

Replace mercury thermometers and thermostats, which release mercury into the air if broken, causing lung, brain and kidney damage, with electronic versions found in most hardware stores.

Crack open a few year-round. It's the easiest way to remove fumes released by harsh cleaning products and chemical-laden furnishings, reduce mould-breeding moisture and lower levels of unsafe gases such as carbon monoxide from poorly ventilated furnaces. "In our experience, people don't ventilate enough," says Danita Aziza, co-founder of Healthy Home Services, a company that offers home assessments and organic lawn care in Thornhill, Ont.

Whenever possible, the Canadian Lung Association recommends avoiding aerosol products such as air fresheners, oven cleaners and hairspray that vaporize chemicals into the air, your lungs and onto your skin. This can provoke asthma and skin irritations. Heavily fragranced household products, which may mask toxic chemicals such as toluene or formaldehyde, can do the same thing. Products that contain chlorine bleach can also irritate the skin and eyes and cause deadly gases when combined with dishwashing detergent or ammonia-based products such as toilet bowl cleaner. Contact your local environmental group for more information and instructions on how to make cleaning products using natural ingredients such as baking soda or lemon juice. Some grocery stores and most health food stores carry non-aerosol, non-toxic products as well.

Found in mattresses, carpets, stuffed furniture and bedding, these critters can trigger allergies and asthma. Fight back by keeping dust levels down, replacing pillows every couple of years and washing bedding(and your favourite stuffed animals)in 130F(55C)water. If you are really sensitive, buy plastic coverings for mattresses and pillows.

Moulds caused by excess moisture can trigger sneezing and runny nose, itchy eyes and throat, asthma, nausea and dizziness. Long-term exposure to toxic moulds has been linked to cancer. The Canadian Lung Association recommends avoiding dampness in bathrooms, kitchens and basements by opening windows, keeping surfaces dry and clean, using exhaust fans or dehumidifiers and fixing leaks. Remove water-damaged drywall, wood, carpets and furnishings.

Get a smoke alarm and a plug-in carbon monoxide detector. If you have them, make sure they're working. Check them regularly.