Whether relaxing, binge-watching favorite shows or working in your home office, you spend a lot of time indoors. But, have you ever given a thought to the quality of the air you’re breathing? Unfortunately, the air quality inside your house is affected by many factors like the environment, fireplace, HVAC systems, and surroundings. But here’s the good news – your green plant friends can improve the quality of the air you breathe.
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Can Indoor Plants Purify Your Home?
Plants remove toxins from the air and serve as natural humidifiers. In addition, different plants can fight different types of indoor pollution by filtering pollutants such as:
- Benzene, which you can find in detergents, rubber paints, inks, oils, dyes, gasoline, and floor finishes.
- Ammonia which you can find in cleaning products.
- Carbon monoxide from fireplaces, vehicles, stoves, and furnace fumes.
- Formaldehyde which you can find in facial tissues, tobacco smoke, gas stoves, adhesive binders in floor coverings, paper towels, carpet backing, and grocery bags.
Moreover, indoor plants also serve health benefits such as lowering stress levels, boosting capacity to concentrate, reducing irritation to the eyes, and preventing congestion. Above all, indoor plants bring life to your home and make you feel better.
To give your place a healthy breath of clean air, here’s a list of the 11 best air purifying plants to bring home now.
Rubber Tree
Rubber trees, also known as rubber plants, produce a lot of oxygen by converting the carbon dioxide we exhale. Also, these plants absorb and break down harmful chemicals in the air. Apart from producing oxygen and removing air toxins, the rubber plant efficiently removes mold spores and bacteria from the air. It’s because rubber trees fight off mold and bacteria as the defense mechanism to protect the soil.
English Ivy
Beautiful as a houseplant or groundcover, English ivy, is a classic choice that adds elegance to your home while removing harmful chemicals. This easy-to-maintain perennial vine effectively removes airborne particles making it perfect for purifying the air in your home. Moreover, according to several studies, English ivy is also capable of reducing mold levels in homes.
Snake Plant
Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, the snake plant is a great low-maintenance plant that can survive the most challenging conditions. However, make sure you don’t overwater it. The snake plants are best for bedrooms as they release oxygen at night, allowing you to breathe better while you sleep. Also, snake plants are perfectly capable of filtering pollutants from air such as formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, toluene, and trichloroethylene.
Peace Lily
An evergreen favorite for houseplant lovers, the peace lily is one of the top plants to purify your air as it can help reduce certain harmful compounds. The plant is known for its excellent ability to fight toxic gases such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, leaving fresh air in the room for you to breathe. Besides, peace lilies are very easy to care for as they even show signs of drooping when they need water. However, you may want to keep your babies and pets away from the plant as they are mildly toxic to humans and animals. Also, always wash your hands after touching the plant.
Spider Plant
For all the houseplant newbies, the spider plant is a perfect choice. These vibrant green plants can filter out toxic compounds like xylene and carbon monoxide and are entirely safe for pets. So what else do you need? Just keep the soil dry, and your spider plant is all set to purify the air for you.
Aloe Vera
Is there anything this plant isn’t capable of? Besides giving you smooth and flawless skin, aloe vera can also purify the air of pollutants like benzene and formaldehyde, which you will find in detergents and floor finishes. The plant also has wound healing, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. So, keep the plant in your kitchen to soothe cooking burns and knife cuts for the best use.
Weeping Fig
This member of the ficus tree looks more like a tree but is actually a plant. In addition to giving your house a vintage touch, weeping figs can also help reduce xylene, formaldehyde, and toluene levels. The variety can grow up to three feet and don’t like to be repotted. Just keep your weeping fig in bright indirect lights, and it will make the environment pure for many years to come.
Pothos
Also known as devil’s ivy, pothos is perfect to keep the air in your house clean. Pothos love moisture making them brilliant bathroom plants. All you have to do is keep the plant in a bright spot and water weekly or when the topsoil feels dry. Also, if you’re searching for low-maintenance plants, you are in luck as the plant can survive anywhere in light conditions.
Flamingo Lily
Perfect for adding a pop of color to your room, the flamingo lily is a perfect choice for beginners and those who want low-maintenance plants. The plant is capable of cleaning the indoor air of toluene, ammonia, xylene, and formaldehyde. Flamingo lilies thrive best in bright, indirect light and enjoy moisture. So, mist the plant regularly but don’t keep the soil soggy. These plants also thrive in moist areas such as the bathroom or kitchen.
Chrysanthemums
Besides cleaning up the air for you, these plants will also add a pop of color to your rooms or kitchen. You can get these plants in various vibrant colors, including yellow, red, lavender, orange, and purple. In addition, chrysanthemums can filter out a bunch of toxins like benzene and ammonia, commonly found in glue, plastics, and detergents. Just give the plant proper sunlight, and it will thrive like nothing else.
Lady Palm
Infuse your space with this elegant greenery and reap all the benefits it provides. Lady palm can reduce ammonia levels in the air, which is in a variety of cleaning products. Apart from ammonia, lady palm can also filter out carbon dioxide, xylene, and formaldehyde. This plant thrives perfectly indoors as well as outdoors. However, make sure you water them regularly as the plant loves humidity.
Bamboo Palms
Since palm trees love indirect sunlight, they make perfect houseplants. Bamboo palm can add green magic to your place while cleaning the air of toxic compounds such as formaldehyde and benzene. These plants can grow up to 12 feet, but they’re slow growers.
The Bottom Line
Nature has an efficient solution for every problem, and air purifying plants are one of them. With these natural wonders, you can keep the air in your home clean while adding aesthetics and vibrance to your place. Besides cleaning the air for you, these plants will also boost your mood, inspire creativity, and bring life to any dull corner of your house. First, however, make sure you provide suitable conditions to the plant you’re bringing home.
