Houseplants improve indoor air quality

Best houseplants are inexpensive and readily available

Houseplants improve indoor air quality by cleaning and conditioning the air.  By removing toxins and adding oxygen and humidity, they make the air easier to breathe. Discover here which houseplants improve indoor air quality.

In the past, drafts and open windows were often the way fresh air was introduced into our homes and offices.  This continual exchange of air with the outdoors acted to remove the toxins given off by the materials used to build and furnish our homes and offices.  As we improve the energy efficiency of our buildings, this natural exchange of air is being reduced and the toxins are being trapped inside the rooms.

We need to find another way to clean the air in our houses and offices.  Studies have shown that many houseplants improve indoor air quality.

Some of the most common toxins in our homes are formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene and carbon monoxide.  Formaldehyde is used in carpets, water repellants, and the pressed wood products used to make furniture.  Benzene is found in paints, detergents and plastics.  Trichloroethylene is found in paints and adhesives and is used extensively in the dry cleaning industry.  Carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuel and by smoking.  It has been shown that these toxins cause respiratory problems, irritability, headaches and nausea. By cleaning these pollutants from the air, houseplants improve indoor air quality.

Studies have shown that houseplants help clean these toxins from the air.  In studies done by and for NASA, many common houseplants were shown to absorb these chemicals and improve indoor air quality.

Houseplants improve indoor air quality by removing the byproducts of our daily living and working.  Our cooking of meals and heating of the building release pollutants into the air.  Smoking releases carbon monoxide and formaldehyde.

Houseplants improve indoor air quality by cleaning the air of dust particles and pollutants.  They also raise the humidity of the air around them.

Although some houseplants have been found to clean the air better than others it is fair to assume that most houseplants will improve indoor air quality.  Houseplants improve indoor air quality by absorbing the toxins from the air.  By the process of photosynthesis, they give off oxygen thus improving the quality of the air we breathe.

Some houseplants improve indoor air quality better than others.  Some of the best choices are:

Aloe Vera                              (Aloe Barbadensis Miller)
Areca Palm                           (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
Pothos
Philodendron
English Ivy                            (Hedera helix)
Boston Fern                         (Epholepsis exalta)
Mother In Laws Tongue     (Sansevieria laurentil)
Rubber Plant                        (Ficus Elastica)
Peace Lily                              (Spathiphyllum)

Studies have shown that under average conditions, one large or two smaller houseplants per 100 square feet will be sufficient.  In badly polluted environments, for example where there is much new carpeting, more may be needed to provide the same level of air quality.

By proper selection, placement and care, you can keep your houseplants in optimum health.  When indoor houseplants are healthy, they are at their most efficient in removing pollutants and adding oxygen and humidity to the air.  Healthy houseplants improve indoor air quality.