Take an air sample inside your home, and you may get a bit of surprise. Potentially harmful chemicals can linger in the air of your home. If you want to get your home’s air as clean as possible, houseplants are a natural choice. Here are a few options to take your air cleaning to the next level.
Peace Lily
Also known as Spathiphyllum, the Peace Lily is a deep green plant that offers up beautiful white flowers year-round. It removes toxin compounds like benzene and trichloroethylene.
Benzene’s known to have harmful effects on bone marrow and red blood cells. Trichloroethylene is a known carcinogen. The leaves absorb these toxins, then send them down to the roots where they are broken down. They also emit moisture into the air, which helps naturally humidify the space.
Snake Plant (Mother-In-Law’s Tongue)
The snake plant has upright green leaves tipped with yellow. It releases a lot of oxygen at night, making it a good option for the bedroom.
Throughout the day and night, this plant filters out formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, toluene, and trichloroethylene. Formaldehyde can lead to respiratory problems such as asthma and is a known carcinogen. Xylene causes nausea, dizziness, and irregular heartbeats. High-levels of toluene can lead to unconsciousness of inhaled.
The best advice is to keep the soil damp, but not wet as the roots tend to rot in moist conditions.
Spider Plant
For those who have trouble keeping plants alive, the spider plant is a good choice. It’s extremely hardy and can take a lot of neglect. It’s an effective filter for removing carbon monoxide and xylene. The spider plant also a good choice for households with pets, as it isn’t toxic to cats or dogs.
Aloe Vera
The aloe vera plant is well-known for soothing minor burns. What a lot of people don’t realize is that it is also an effective houseplant for removing formaldehyde and benzene. It loves the sun, so put it near a sunny window to keep it happy and healthy.
Dracaena
The Dracaena family of houseplants offer a variety of colors and textures. Even better, they are very effective for removing trichloroethylene and xylene, among other dangerous toxins. These plants are extremely hardy, being able to take direct sunlight or shady conditions. Keep the soil moist without soaking it.
Barberton Daisy
Want a splash of bright color? The Barberton Daisy offers bursts of orange, red, pink, and yellow, with excellent air filtration of formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and benzene. These flowers love natural light and moist, well-drained soil.
Areca Palm
Also known as the butterfly palm or the bamboo palm, the Areca palm is well known as an interior humidifier. It gives off up to a liter of clean moisture every day. On top of that, however, it also filters benzene and formaldehyde very well. It likes bright, filtered light and a lot of water.
These houseplants can clean the toxins out of the air in your home. Which one will you start with?