Clean The Air In Your Home With House Plants

House plants add natural beauty and a sense of calm to any decorating scheme. However, you may be getting double duty from that fern as it cleans the air in your home while it adds beauty to your décor.

We all learned in grade school science class how plants absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen during photosynthesis. In fact, planting more trees is one of the simplest ways to reduce CO2 in the environment outside your home. Scientists have learned that house plants can clean up the air inside your home by filtering harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.¹

Paints, cleaners, plastic, carpet and building materials all contain VOCs. Exposure to these toxins is linked to numerous diseases, including asthma and cancer. As we seal, caulk and insulate our homes to improve energy efficiency, we are worsening the quality of the air we breath inside. Without those drafts and cracks to dilute and disseminate the toxins, we are trapped in an air tight box full of VOCs. While air filters can clear dust and other particles, they don't have the stuff it takes to filter these invisible poisons.

After studying the impact houseplants have on air quality, NASA concluded that three plants can effectively clean the air in an average-sized room. What are the best plants to use for scrubbing your air? Included on NASA's Top Ten list are the bamboo palm, Chinese evergreen, English ivy, ficus, gerbera daisy, peace lily, pot mum, mother-in-laws tongue and several types of dracaena.

References

• 1. "Houseplants Help Clean Indoor Air," Univ. of Maryland Yard and Garden Brief