Clean the Air in Your Home with Houseplants

Don't be fooled into thinking you need an expensive air purifier to keep the air in your home fresh and clean. Plants are much more effective at filtering pollutants from indoor air than fancy air purifiers and air filters. It's simply an added bonus that they are beautiful and uplifting too. Before you shell out your hard earned dollars for a system that promises to improve the air quality in your home, consider the alternatives. Plants are inexpensive, require no electricity to operate, and you'll never have to change a filter again!

The Science Behind It

Studies performed by NASA indicate that houseplants remove indoor air pollutants while increasing the amount of oxygen and humidity in the home. Most houseplants have developed from plants that grow in the understory of rainforests. These plants must be able to survive the high concentrations of mold and mildew and prevent the attack of mold and mildew to their own leaves. They have adapted by developing microbes on the root system that serves the purpose of biodegrading mold and mildew, and emit mold-inhibiting chemicals from their leaves.

How It Works for Indoor Pollutants

Because indoor air pollutants are structurally similar to the genetic structure of mold and mildew, these plants effectively biodegrade common indoor pollutants like carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and benzene, which are by products of cleaning and household products, and provide protection against airborne mold and mildew spores.

How to Use Plants to Purify Air

To reap the air purifying benefits of houseplants, one simply needs to add houseplants to every room. For an average home of less than 2000 square feet, you will need the equivalent of 15 houseplants in 6-inch pots. Although this may sound like a lot of plants, a single vining ivy in a 12-inch pot can easily compensate for three or four smaller plants. It is recommended that you choose a variety of plants from the list of most effective plants.

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