Everyone wants to live in cleaner air.
Although an air purifier can do a good job around your home, house plants can do even better.
There are certain plants that can filter the air and provide your home with a fresh clean atmosphere. Your house plants will cost nothing (once you’ve planted or gotten them) and will clean, effortlessly, without any noise. They not only serve a purpose but also look great as well.
The air inside your home is some of the worst air that you can breathe in during the day.
The different equipment around your home lets off trace chemicals.
Pesticides, mold, bacteria, and fungus may also be present in the air in your home.
Although cleaning helps the problem, there will always be some of these things in the air.
Many of the containments that you breathe in can cause you and your family long term health problems. Your breathing can be affected by dirty and contaminated air.
If you already suffer from asthma and your home doesn’t have a way to filter out contaminants, often being inside your home is as difficult as being outside.
There is a solution to help you clean the air in your home: house plants.
Having the right houseplants positioned around your home has proven to be very effective at cleaning the air. A NASA study showed that houseplants help clear up damaging effects from chemicals like benzene, ammonia, and formaldehyde. Amazingly enough, these chemicals are commonly found in the air in most houses.
Depending on the size of plants you choose, placing one potted plant per every 100 square feet of your home can help to ensure that you and your family are breathing in clean air.
Alternatives to House Plants
There are air purifiers that you can purchase. However, they are often expensive, and many will not filter all of the different chemicals
Even if you purchase the best air filters on the market, there are gases and toxins that can get through.
House Plants as filters
- The plants that you choose are your home’s filters.
- Certain plants are better than others, so here are some basics you may want to know when you choose plants for your home.
- The larger the leaves the more effective the plant is.
- Make sure they are easy to reach so that it’s not a chore to water and tend to them.
- Select plants with colors (and scents if applicable) that you actually like, so that they are appreciated in your home.
- Bedrooms are a great place to have the house plants because you spend the most time in your room. Throughout the night the plants will be helping to provide a far cleaner and safer environment to sleep in.
- Rooms that have a great deal of electrical equipment in such as offices and TV rooms are also good because plants absorb some of the radiation coming from these devices..
- Kitchens and workshops are also great places because plants can absorb the fumes and off-gassing which happens often during cooking and projects.
Suggestions for a couple types of plants:
- Palms are great. They have big leaves and look great in most areas.
- Weeping figs are a very popular plant to have. They can be placed beside desks in office space.
- Snake plants are very hardy plants that do not take a great deal of care, but help to reduce the toxins quickly.
- Cacti (cactuses) are also great plants that thrive on neglect (if you’re the type that forgets to water your plants).
Not all plants are ideal as air purifiers. Some plants can be harmful to humans. It’s unlikely they will be sold as houseplants at your local garden center though. If you are unsure seek advice from a local plant expert (at Home Depot or your garden center).
Looking after the plants can help them to look after you and your family. Once you’ve selected your plants, ensure that they are watered, fed, and given enough light.
Sometimes it is the simple things in life that are the most effective.
Cutting back on the amount of toxins in our homes is a good idea, through using different household cleaners, choosing low VOC paints, and choosing tile over carpet when possible. Since these choices are not always possible, it is best to make sure that your home also uses the amazing abilities of house plants.
Bio:
H.M is writing for AirPurifierWiz.com, a consumer based site where you will find honest air purifier reviews and ratings.