Interior Paint Product Guidance

Use the red-to-green product guidance below to select safer product types by avoiding those in red and preferring yellow and green, which are safer for occupants, fenceline communities, and workers.

When choosing an interior paint:

• Prefer mineral-based paints like lime or mineral silicate.
• For acrylic, latex, or alkyd paints:
  • Look for alkylphenol ethoxylate (APE)- and PFAS-free base paints and colorants.
  • Prefer water-based paints with both low VOC content and low VOC emissions, and colorants that do not increase the VOC content of the base paint when tinted.
• Avoid paints making antimicrobial-related health claims, such as protection from specific disease-causing organisms like bacteria or viruses. These paints are often registered as pesticides with the EPA.
• Use caution when specifying specialty paints such as chalkboard, whiteboard, and magnetic paint, which may introduce additional hazards not covered here.