Your home is your castle, and you want to keep it clean and safe for you and your family. In addition to just cleaning, you'll want to consider ways to care for your home and furniture that will improve indoor air quality, reduce mold, and rid the place of anything toxic. Here's a simple how-to on things to do when you are trying to green your housekeeping.

Use eco-friendly surface cleaners like Mrs. Meyer's, Method, Seventh Generation, Shaklee and Ecover. These biodegradable, all- or mostly natural cleaning products do the job just as well as conventional cleaners, and leave your home smelling great.

If possible, avoid conventional household cleaners with artificial fragrances, which might include harmful phthalates and other toxins. Products with lemon or pine scents can often include chemicals that will offgas formaldehyde and other nasties.

Concoct your own cleaning solutions out of simple ingredients like vinegar, borax, liquid soap and water. You can find these recipes at websites like healthychild.com or even marthastewart.com.

Use the recommended amount of cleaning product. This way, you can extend the usage life of your cleaner, reduce the amount of packaging you're purchasing, and get the most effective use from the product.

Open your windows and diffuse the effect of indoor gases. Ventilation is the simplest way to clean the air in your house.

Make sure you change the air filter in your air-conditioning and heating units regularly. You can schedule changes when you do your seasonal housekeeping (spring cleaning!), but indoor air experts recommend that you do so at least annually.

Tired of that stale air freshener smell? Use indoor plants to purify your air. Some types of plants can absorb carbon dioxide and other airborne impurities; try English ivy, bamboo palm, and peace lilies.

Buy a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter and change your vacuum bag regularly. If overused, the bag can release dust and other particles back into the air.

Where you find mold, clean it up promptly and address the moisture issue that caused it to form. Mold can cause allergies in a household where it goes unattended.

If you're re-painting your walls or furniture, make sure to dispose of unused or partially used paint containers. These are considered hazardous waste and can over time affect the air quality in their storage area. Make sure you find out where to appropriately throw them away from your local municipality.

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