Believe it or not, the air inside our homes is more polluted than that outside? Household appliances, PVC joinery, fancy furniture, plywood, linoleum, wallpapers, detergents and pretty much everything you keep at home saturates the air in your home and office with health-threatening substances like benzene, toluene, phenol, formaldehyde, and many other toxins.
Each of these increases the level of dust and germs which harm our health, causing allergies and severe respiratory problems.
Ask nature for help. Yes, that is the best advice you can get. Set up some pot plants in your house, and let them filter the air naturally, absorb “bad things,” and release oxygen.
Even NASA used some of these plants to purify the air in their space stations, so just grab some of these and let them do the job in your house or apartment.
- Aloe Vera
Succulent plants are easy to grow, and this applies to Aloe Vera as well. It removes formaldehyde and benzene from the air. Keep a few of these in your kitchen to get rid of the chemicals contained in common household cleaning products. Aloe Vera not only cleans air, you can also use its soothing gel to treat cuts and burns.
- Azalea
It is a flowering shrub that filters formaldehyde released from plywood and foam isolation.
Azaleas like cooler temperatures, and something between 60 and 65 would be just fine.
Keep a few azaleas in your basement to filter the pollutants, but make sure they get enough light.
- Bamboo Palm
These tiny palms do wonders in dimly lit areas. Some varieties have flowers and berries, too.
Bamboo palms filter benzene and toxins released from furniture and carpets.
- Chrysanthemum
The vivid chrysanthemum flowers filter benzene that is commonly added to glue, paint, plastics, and detergents. You see, these are not only the flowers you keep in a vase.
Chrysanthemum likes bright light, so make sure the flowers get direct sunlight. They will flower only if you keep the plant near an open window.
- English ivy
Keep it in your bathroom, as it reduces particles released from the fecal matter. English ivy also filters formaldehyde contained in common cleaning products.
- Gerber daisies
You probably do not know that these vivid flowers remove pollutants contained in dry cleaning products.
Keep a few Gerber daisies in your bedroom or laundry room, and make sure they get enough sunshine.
- Mother-in-law’s tongue
It only needs a little lighting. This plant grows well in humid conditions, which is why you should keep it in the bathroom.
Mother-in-tongue filters out contaminants from toilet paper, tissues, and cleaning products.
- Spider plant
It is one of the most popular houseplants, mostly because it is pretty impossible to be destroyed.
If you are not so thrilled about gardening, spider plant is the first plant you should start off with. It has small white flowers and full foliage.
The spider plant eliminates traces of benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide from the air you breathe.
- Warneck Dracaena
It filters toxins found in varnishes and oils. Warneck Dracaena is easy to grow, and does not need direct sunlight.
It grows about 12 feet high, so you should trim it,
- Weeping fig
It filters out pollutants released from furniture and carpeting.
The weeping fig is a type of a fichus tree. Grow it properly, and you will enjoy having it for a long, long time.
Grow your own air-purifying plants
Most of the abovementioned plants are easy to grow. All you have to do is follow a few simple instructions. Check the Internet for some easy tips and growing tricks.
Always check if the soil is dry, and if your plant gets enough sun. Add enough water so the surface of the soil is slightly dampened. Do these two things, and your plants will live longer than usual.
There are many air-purifying plants, but these are the most amazing houseplants you will ever have. Keep a few of these in your home, and you will successfully remove the toxins from your house. Who needs a pricey and noisy air-filtering system?