You recycle regularly, use compact fluorescent lightbulbs, and try to buy organic. But we're betting there's a lot more you can do to turn your home into a healthier, safer, and greener haven. Do you know how to boost the Earth-friendly quotient of your fridge? What's the simplest way to keep the new-rug smell—and the new-rug toxins—out of your lungs? Take our eco-home quiz and find out. If you don't score in the green zone, consider some of these easy and smart switches that will make a big impact on the planet—and your health.

[sidebar]1. Staying indoors protects you from pollution. [T/F]

Answer: False. Shockingly, pollutant levels in your house can be 2 to 5 times higher—and even as much as 100 times higher!—than those outside, according to studies by the EPA. Paint, carpet, flooring, and furniture emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can cause a variety of ills. Formaldehyde, the most common VOC, can trigger headaches, coughing, nausea, and breathing problems. Plus, there's less ventilation indoors to remove cigarette smoke, pet allergens, mold, and other pollutants, says William Fisk, head of the indoor environment department at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA.

Green fix: When you buy a new carpet, ask the showroom to unroll it for two weeks before delivery to air it out. Look for low- or no-VOC paints carrying the Green Seal (greenseal.org) and carpets with the Carpet and Rug Institute tag; these labels guarantee few emissions.

Air fresheners are another common indoor source of VOCs, says Fisk. Skip the artificial versions and make your own: Add several drops of essential oil to a spray bottle of water and spritz.

Health bonus: Reducing your exposure to VOCs will cut your risk of asthma and headaches, studies show.

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2. The best way to save energy and lower electric bills is to turn off household appliances. [T/F]

Answer: False.

Most appliances—including televisions, DVD players, and cell phone chargers, or anything with an LED display or remote control—suck electricity through the outlet even when they are turned off. In fact, about 75% of home electronics power is consumed while the products aren't even in use, according to the Department of Energy.

Green fix: Plug gadgets—especially your cell phone charger, computer, and all its peripherals—into a surge protector strip. When you turn off the strip, it's like you've actually unplugged them.

Health bonus: Surge protectors lower your chances of overloading a circuit, which reduces your risk of fire, says Meri-K Appy, president of the nonprofit Home Safety Council.

3. Which type of refrigerator is the most energy efficient?

a. Freezer on the top, refrigerator on the bottom
b. Side-by-side
c. Freezer on the bottom, refrigerator on the top

Answer: C. Your fridge accounts for about 9% of your home's energy usage—more than any other appliance. Freezer-below versions require approximately 16% less energy than side-by-side models. (The freezer-on-top configuration uses about 13% less than side-by-sides.)

Green fix: Can't invest in a new model? Keep your fridge full, since it takes more energy to cool an empty space. Just don't overstuff: Cold air can't circulate when food is crammed against the top and sides of the fridge.

Health bonus: If your fridge keeps food at 40°F or below, you're less likely to be among the 3 to 4 million people each year who get food poisoning.

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4. Which spews more pollution?

a. Your car
b. Your snowblower
c. Your lawn mower

Answer: C. According to the EPA, a typical gas-powered lawn mower emits as much pollution in 1 hour as 11 cars. And though snowblowers came in third, they're not exactly easy on the environment: They put about 2 pounds of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere per hour.

Green fix: Use a Wovel ($120; wovel.com), a wheelbarrow-like shovel that lets you clear your driveway without straining your back. When spring comes, trade your gas mower for a lightweight, push-operated reel model ($214; peoplepoweredmachines.com), which burns calories, not carbon.

Health bonus: You'll cut down on noise pollution: Snowblowers produce about 105 decibels of eardrum-rattling sound, and lawn mowers about 90. Prolonged exposure to noise above 85 decibels damages the hair cells in the inner ear; chronic exposure is linked to increased anxiety levels, elevated blood pressure, and disrupted sleep.

5. Since mold and mildew quickly accumulate on shower curtains, it's better to use a disposable vinyl version. [T/F]

Answer: False. Vinyl curtains, made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), are cheap but release VOCs for a month or more.

Green fix: A glass door is safest. (Wipe it daily to prevent mold and mildew.) If you don't want the expense of installing one, choose a curtain made of nylon or a natural material. Hemp cloth won't leak through, so no liner is needed. Just close the curtain to let it air-dry, and wash every few weeks.

Health bonus: Hemp curtains ($84; greenearthmarket.com) are resistant to bacteria and allergy-aggravating mold.

6. Washing laundry in hot water is worth the extra energy because it gets clothes cleaner. [T/F]

Answer: False. Cold water is almost always good enough, according to the Soap and Detergent Association.

Green fix: Set the temp gauge to cold, except for supersoiled loads, to slash your household's energy use. But wash sheets on hot to kill dust mites and reduce allergies. A study found that washing bedding in hot water killed 100% of dust mites,
compared with only 6.5% in warm.

Health bonus: If everyone in the United States switched to cold water for most loads, it would mean a savings of 47 million tons of CO2 emissions a year—which could help reduce global warming and its health effects, such as increased rates of asthma, heatstroke, and West Nile virus infection.

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