Sustainable Living & Sustainable Lifestyle

If you’re looking for ways to clean the air in your home, look no further than plants

Which Plants Help Clean the Air?

If you’re looking for ways to clean the air in your home, look no further than plants. Many different plants help clean the air, reducing the number of unseen toxins. These plants include the English ivy, mother-in-law tongue, dwarf date palm, bamboo palm, Chinese evergreen, peace lily, chrysanthemum, spider plant, rubber plant and aloe vera.

Any one of these 10 indoor plants that purify the air are easy to find for purchase. And you don’t have to become a master gardener or even have much of a green thumb to tend to them. These plants thrive with just a little tender care.

Indoor Plants That Purify the Air

The most important thing is that as you take care of these plants that help clean the air, they take care of you. They rank among the best ways to clean indoor air naturally.

English Ivy

If you have little experience with plants, then a perennial vine is an excellent choice. It will prove very forgiving of you when you forget to water it. At the same time, the English ivy will purify the air and look classy. It works well at battling mold levels in a home, as well as removing toxic particles from the air.

Mother-In-Law Tongue

Don’t overwater the mother-in-law tongue. That is the main thing to avoid with this otherwise easy to care for plant. This plant is known for filtering toxins such as formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene. It also releases oxygen, making it easier to breath.

Dwarf Palm

Also called pygmy palms, these palms are the small versions of their giant cousins outside. They grow well in partial shade and will reach about six to 10 feet in height. They also will have a frond “wingspan” that reaches about six feet, so make sure to have plenty of room. They will reward your efforts by exceling at removing formaldehyde and xylene from the air.

Bamboo Palm

The bamboo palm is another easy choice, as it will grow in either sunlight or shade. This charming houseplant is known for removing the toxins benzene and formaldehyde from the air.

Chinese Evergreen

How about a plant for the bathroom? The Chinese evergreen works perfectly in this often-used room, cleaning formaldehyde and benzene out of the air, both of which are found in detergents and cosmetics. It’s great for the bathroom because the Chinese evergreen loves a humid environment. You might still want to mist the leaves every so often to keep them from browning.

Peace Lily

Peace lilies have glossy green leaves and are famous for being easy to care for, as well as thriving in low light. If you keep them watered weekly, they will reward you with the beautiful white flowers that made them famous. Peace lilies remove benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and xylene.

Chrysanthemum

They provide beautiful blooms while also purifying the air of toxins like  including ammonia and benzene. You’ll want to place a chrysanthemum in a spot where it gets plenty of sunlight. They also do better in good air flow and when watered using warm water only. A bit harder to care for than other plants on this list, but also the most beautiful.

Spider plant

A favorite of newbies, spider plants can survive pretty much anywhere, even in low temperature environments. They grow in almost any kind of light, too, including indirect sunlight. They work well at cleaning formaldehyde and xylene out of the air. The spider plant is also non-toxic to pets.

Rubber plants

Rubber plants thrive in bright sunlight. A native of India, this plant is hardy and is known for clearing out toxins like xylene, benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera loves a sunny spot, so think about a window seal where it will get plenty of direct sunlight. The kitchen is a great place, making the aloe vera leaves handy to help take the sting out of any cooking burns you suffer while also removing formaldehyde and benzene out of the air.

As usual, nature provides some of the best answers to manmade problems. Toxins are a part of life. But with the right plants, you can cut down how many unseen toxins you have in your home.


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