The best plants for indoor air quality
Any home has air contaminants caused by everyday activities or even your furniture. Fumes from our gas stove, cleaners or even fragrances can contribute to indoor air pollution. Even if no one smokes inside your home, the lingering particles can be tracked in with the smoker when they come in. And of course, there’s pollen, animal dander and the like.
These pollutants are unavoidable but there are ways to improve the air quality in our homes. One way is with plants. The best plants for indoor air quality help to remove toxins from the air while also converting carbon dioxide, or CO2, into oxygen. Which plants should you choose?
1. Snake Plant
The snake plant is perfect for any bedroom. Why? Unlike most other plants, it continues to work its magic even throughout the night. It produces cleaner air and higher concentrations of oxygen when your body can use it most. While we sleep, we breathe deeper and more slowly. Snake plants are very hardy and are great for beginners. Be sure not to overwater these plants, and keep them in indirect sunlight.
2. Peace Lily
If you enjoy keeping flowers in your home or would like to start, you may want to add a peace lily or two. Not only do they offer a light floral aroma, but they also take up very little space and don’t need much water. They filter many different toxins from the air, including mold spores. Peace lilies are toxic plants, however, so make sure they are out of reach of children and pets. Sunlight can also burn their leaves so make sure they stay shaded.
3. Red-Edged Dracaena
This plant is recommended by NASA as one of the best plants for indoor air quality. With brightly colored leaves, it can instantly brighten up any space, big or small. The leaves are long and sharp which creates a unique addition to a room. To keep a red-edged dracaena filtering your air as efficiently as possible, remember to gently wipe the underside of each leaf with a damp cloth every once in a while.
4. Aloe Vera
No doubt you’ve heard of aloe vera before. You’ve also probably used it on your skin a time or two. Did you know that the plant can do so much more? Even a small plant can do big things in your home by filtering toxins and releasing extra oxygen into the air. Then, if you happen to need a dab of aloe, you already have it handy. With so many benefits for the air as well as benefits for your body, skin and hair, no wonder it’s called “the Miracle Plant.”
5. Boston Fern
Ferns are known for their signature leaves and long stalks with straight leaves that grow from each side. These leaves can be short, long, straight or curled, but it’s still fairly easy to spot one. It’s this abundance of leaves that make them so effective at filtering the air in your home. The Boston fern thrives in cool, humid environments with indirect sunlight. As long as they stay watered, they grow very well in hanging planters.
6. English Ivy
Known mostly for their signature, cascading vines, English Ivy is as classic and elegant as it is beneficial. It filters toxins from the air, including mold, but it also works as a humidifier. For those with asthma or allergies, adding moisture to the air may help reduce symptoms. English Ivy does this best in small spaces. It’s extremely low maintenance other than pruning the vines back once in a while. You want to let the soil dry a bit before watering again.
7. Bamboo
You may be surprised to learn of the many benefits and uses of bamboo. It can be used as an astringent, an anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant and even an aphrodisiac in some cases. Bamboo is edible and also used in construction. It’s a good thing that this plant grows so quickly. One of the things that makes it grow so fast is the rate at which it converts carbon dioxide to oxygen. As your bamboo plant grows beautifully, you get to breathe healthier air.
Plants can be a functional and also beautiful addition to our homes. Another way to maintain the air quality in your home is to ensure that your HVAC system is working properly. For heating and cooling repairs, installation and maintenance services in Somerset, KY, call Jeffries Heating & Air + Plumbing today.
