What are your favorite parts of spring? For some of us, it's all about the sweet smells of spring. Blooming flowers, cut grass, and freshly worked soil smell like dessert after a hearty winter's meal. For some of us, mild temperatures, changing weather dynamics and long twilights make spring the best season to play outside. Of course for some, pollen counts and other seasonal allergens make spring the season of, ah-choo!

Whatever scents and flavors that spring has in store for you, we hope that you can get out of doors, enjoy some screen-free time and delight in the smells, sights and activities of spring.

When you get outside, please remember to follow the most current guidance to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

Is spring cleaning still a thing? For most of us, cleaning the house feels like a never-ending to-do-list.

Weekly vacuuming, dusting, and cutting clutter are still the main ways to improve air quality inside of your home. Taking shoes off at the door is another great way to reduce toxics and allergens. If you're managing those things, regulary, you're doing great!

If you’re looking for a seasonal re-fresh, here are a few bite-sized, spring cleaning tasks that can make a big difference in the quality of your indoor air.

Clean your doormats – Shake out your doormats well and vacuum them. If you want to take an extra step, spray them down with a hose. If it’s not the kind of doormat you can clean, consider investing in more sturdy doormats with rubber backing for every entryway into your home.

Change or clean your furnace filter (if you have a furnace) - Furnace filters should be replaced or cleaned every 3-6 months.

Clean heater vents - Make sure that the heater is cool to the touch and then vacuum and wipe down the elements where heat enters your home. This could be a baseboard heater, wall/cadet heater, furnace vents, etc. These have the tendency to build up lint, dust and cobwebs that should be removed periodically.

Clean grate covers of bathroom, laundry and kitchen fans – Take off the top cover of bathroom and laundry fans and clean them. They get filled with lint and won't work as well. If you’re not comfortable removing the cover, use a vacuum hose extension to vacuum the lint and build up from the fan cover. Kitchen fans can vary, but for most of them you can take the silver filter out and wash it or replace it. Some stoves have charcoal filters that need to be replaced.

Vacuum undersides of area rugs – After thoroughly vacuuming your area rugs, flip them over and vacuum the bottom sides as well. Lots of dust gets trapped underneath.

After completing these spring cleaning tasks, you’ll enjoy the fresh, spring air even more.

Q: I’ve heard about health concerns with PFAS or “forever chemicals.” Can you tell me more about them?

A: According to the EPA, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals. PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States since the 1940s.

This group of chemicals is found in commonly used items in our homes like non-stick cookware and stain-resistant furniture and clothing. They are called “forever chemicals,” because they don’t break down over time. To limit your family’s exposure, avoid them in products whenever possible.

Choose a well-seasoned cast iron pan over non-stick cookware and ask furniture, carpet and clothing suppliers what is in their products before purchasing them. Avoid fast food wrappers and containers that often contain these non-stick chemicals and know what’s in your personal care products.

Most homes have items with PFAS in them and the chemicals break down over time, becoming parts of house dust and indoor air. Reduce exposure to these and other chemicals with these actions:

1.     Vacuum weekly, especially carpets where kids play.

2.     Damp dust weekly.

3.     Leave shoes at the door to avoid tracking chemicals into your home.

4.     Open windows every day to bring fresh air inside.

5.     Learn more about these chemicals at Department of Health and how to choose safer cookware.

We are all working hard to keep ourselves and families safe. Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting are all ways to maintain safety in our living spaces.

Before sanitizing or disinfecting, clean surfaces with soap and warm water. For most things, cleaning with soap and water is enough to kill germs but there are times when we need to sanitize or disinfect.

There are many safer disinfectants available in stores. Choose products that have a signal word of caution or warning and avoid those that say danger or poison. Hydrogen peroxide and citric acid are two active ingredients that can be found in many safer disinfectants.

More ideas for safer disinfectants can be found at EPA’s Design for the Environment