Giving your home a fresh coat? Learn about the pitfalls of painting, and learn how to avoid exposure to volatile organic compounds that can cause long-term and short-term health concerns. Plus, find seven nature ways to remove paint smells from your home.

If you have been concerned about wildfires and the smoke they create lately, you are not alone. California and the western United States are experiencing an increasing number of smoky days each year and this year’s wildfires have even caused smoky pollution on the east coast — a disturbing trend that makes good air quality seem more and more like a luxury.