The best air-purifying plants for your home
Stress reduction, better concentration, and a beautiful, relaxing environment—there’s a lot that biophilic design can do for our living spaces. In the long list of benefits, one of the most common claims made about indoor greenery is that plants clean the air in your home.
Breathing in airborne impurities causes a wide range of health issues: from nose, mouth, and throat irritation, to dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and more serious respiratory diseases. The power of plants to absorb harmful toxins has been proven in the lab. But do plants actually improve air quality in the spaces where we live and work?
Probably not as much as people think. While plants may absorb indoor pollutants and improve air quality, to feel the impact you would need an indoor jungle. Here’s a list of the best plants that improve air quality—better start planting…
Peace Lily: the best for removing toxins
Peace lilies were the top performers in a much-quoted NASA study on plants that improve air quality. These elegant houseplants absorbed all of the tested toxins (benzene, formaldehyde, trichlorethylene, xylene, toluene, and ammonia) from the air. Plus, they’re just as easy to care for as they are on eye.
The peace lily isn’t only pretty, but also pretty low maintenance.
Pothos: the best for absorbing ozone
Pothos are one of the most effective air-purifying plants. As well as removing toxins, golden pothos were shown to absorb a small amount of indoor ozone—a molecule that causes lung damage if inhaled in large quantities. These beautiful trailing plants make a stunning addition to any home, and they might help you breathe a little easier too.
Golden pothos is available in the Plant Store.
Snake plant: the best for low maintenance
Of the indoor plants that improve air quality, sansevieria are the best for brown-thumbed plant lovers. Snake plants were another high performer in the NASA clean air study, filtering all of the toxins besides ammonia. These unfussy plants can take some neglect—so don’t worry if you forget a watering (or three).
Add a low maintenance sansevieria laurentii to your home from the Plant Store.
Spider plant: the best for attracting moisture
Pollution isn’t the only cause of low-quality air. Mold spores and mildew produced by indoor humidity can also lead to respiratory problems. Humidity-loving spider plants improve air quality by attracting moisture in the air and preventing mold from growing. These houseplants send out dangling stems covered in baby spiderettes—its foliage looks lovely in a hanging basket.
Spider plants are a classic for a reason.
Aloe vera: the best for a sunny spot
Aloe vera is another of the best indoor plants to improve air quality. This sun-loving plant featured in the NASA study and was shown to purify the air of formaldehyde and benzene—chemicals commonly found in household cleaning products. Like a succulent, make sure your aloe vera is well-drained and be sure not to overwater.
Can double as a hair and skincare product: the aloe vera.
And besides plants?
There are many other ways to purify the air: try using cooking vents, keeping carpets and soft surfaces clean, and don’t forget about Stoßlüften—regularly opening the windows to allow air exchange. To create a healthy home environment, you can’t only rely on plants that improve air quality. You would need an oasis of green to feel the effects of their purifying properties—luckily plants come with plenty of other benefits to your health and happiness.
Plantclub.io provides you and your colleagues with the benefits of plants, wherever you work. Rent office plants and transform your space into a green oasis, with flexible monthly membership options to suit your size. Diversify your employee perks with a dedicated company store, where you can give green gifts and your team can buy plants for their home office. Book a time to chat with us today.