Who doesn’t love breathing fresh air? Nowadays, it has become an Instagram trend to add plants to your home. Aside from the fact that they bring life to the space, and they look good on your Instagram feed, they also improve your creativity and mood and clean the air you breathe.
Can indoor plants really clean the air in your home?
Yes, indoor plants can purify the air in your home, and it also has other health benefits. You don’t have to turn your place into a jungle, but adding a few of these pretty air-purifying plants in every room of your house can enhance indoor air quality.
How does it work?
Let’s go on a little science lecture by Prevention. Plants absorb gases through the pores in their leaves, and microbes in their roots help covert them to the nutrients they need to grow. This is how plants convert the carbon dioxide humans breathe out into glucose and oxygen. However, plants can also absorb a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are released from building materials, fabrics, cigarette smoke, paints, plastics, and more.
House Beautiful made a list of the different types of toxins you’ll likely have in your home:
- Acetone: Surprising, eh? It’s not just in your nail polish remover, but also in other cleaners, and even your electronics.
- Ammonia: Mostly found in cleaners, textiles, and the dyes in everything from your sofa to your clothes.
- Benzene: A carcinogen found in most paints.
- Carbon monoxide: It can come from kitchen appliances and passing vehicles (or from your own garage).
- Formaldehyde: It’s in floorboards, furniture, and particle boards.
- Mold spores and other airborne bacteria: The common sources are wet bathrooms and kitchens.
- Trichloroethylene: It’s emitted by printer ink, paints, and paint removers.
These VOCs have also shown to cause eye irritation, headaches, and nausea when levels get too high.
Other health benefits of air-purifying plants
Aside from improving the air quality in your home, these air purifying indoor plants can also:
- Improve your mood and creativity
- Increase your concentration
- Lower your stress
- Prevents coughing and congestion
- Reduce irritation to eyes, ears, nose, throat, and even lungs
Safety concerns before you buy a plant
If you have kids or pets such as cats and dogs, you may want to reconsider these air-purifying plants because most of these plants can be toxic to them. You can check out ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants page to check the toxicity level and which plants are toxic to your kids and pets.
We have collected a list of the 10 best air purifying indoor plants. Most of these plants can be easily found at your local florist. You can fill your home with a mix of these plants for maximum air cleaning power.
Good news: You don’t have to worry if you don’t have a green thumb because these plants are easy to care and pretty hard to kill. Simply follow our care advice tips to keep your air-purifying plants alive. Let’s get started!
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a great air-purifying indoor plant. I love aloe vera because of its healing ability to cure burns and cuts. It’s the perfect plant to keep in your kitchen window. Plus, aloe is a very forgiving plant, which makes it a perfect plant for busy plant parents or first-time plant owners.
Light: Aloe Vera is a sun-loving plant. It will grow in a bright, sunny spot in your home.
Water: It needs very little water to survive.
Toxicity: Toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.
Eliminates: Benzene which is commonly found in paint and certain chemical cleaners.
Bamboo Palm
Also known as Areca palm. This elegant tropical plant needs bright indirect sunlight to thrive. It can grow from four to 12 feet high, so expect that it will bring a lot of green in your home. Bamboo palms are the perfect air-purifying plant to add in your home especially during dry winter months because it transpires a healthy dose of moisture in the air.
Light: Requires bright indirect light to survive and avoid cold drafts.
Water: Keep the soil moist and mist occasionally to prevent spider mites.
Toxicity: Safe for pets.
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide, xylene, chloroform, and more.
Boston Fern
Boston Ferns are popular air-purifying plants because it looks beautiful hanging from baskets and healthy benefits. They’re perfect for people who suffer from dry skin and other cold-weather problems because it acts as humidifiers and can help to restore moisture in the air.
Light: Boston Ferns prefer BRIGHT indirect light and high humidity areas.
Water: Keep the root ball moist at all times, and mist with water frequently.
Toxicity: Safe for cats and dogs.
Eliminates: Formaldehyde
Dracaena
Dracaenas are low-maintenance air-purifying plants. Also, it will thrive and adapt to almost any environment. It’s perfect for newbie plant parents. Dracaena plants come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. However, they all have one thing in common, and that’s their long leaves grow outward and up from a cane.
Light: Dracaenas prefers medium indirect sunlight but can survive in low light.
Water: Keep the soil damp but not soggy.
Toxicity: Toxic to cats and dogs.
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, benzene, trichloroethylene.
Weeping Fig
Weeping Fig or also knows as Ficus are low-maintenance plants, but can also be a bit fussy because it doesn’t like change. Ficus loves bright, indirect light, so find a good spot at your home and let it settle in. This air-purifying plant can grow from two to 10 feet tall, so you need to find an area in your home with a high ceiling and enough sunlight.
Light: Requires a bright room with plenty of indirect light.
Water: Let the soil dry out between waterings.
Toxicity: Toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.
Eliminates: Benzene, formaldehyde, trichoroethylene.
Pot Mum
Ah, chrysanthemum. You wouldn’t believe it, but these pretty blooms help purify the air in your home. Most of the time, you can see these in gardens or outdoors, but they can also thrive in your home with a little extra love.
Light: Mums prefer direct sunlight, so it’s best to place them in your window.
Water: Check the soil every day. Water when the top inch of the soil is dry, and keep it damp.
Toxicity: These pretty air-purifying plants are toxic to cats and dogs.
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, ammonia.
Golden Pothos
Also known as Devil’s Ivy is another forgiving plant if you forget to water it or give it sunlight. Golden pothos is easy to care, and it can grow up to 8 feet long. This gorgeous hanging plant is considered to be the most effective air-purifying plant.
Light: Golden Pothos can tolerate low light, but it also grows well in medium and bright places.
Water: It can tolerate missed watering, but it’s best to keep the soil moist.
Toxicity: Toxic to cats and dogs.
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, benzene, carbon monoxide, and more.
Peace Lily
Also known as Mauna Loa. Peace Lily is a small air-purifying plant that loves moisture, so it’s perfect for plant parents with small spaces and as bathroom plants. This pretty plant grows best in shady areas, but too little light can prevent this plant from blooming.
Light: Grows best in shady areas.
Water: Keep the soil slightly moist.
Toxicity: Toxic to cats, dogs, and children.
Eliminates: Formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, xylene, ammonia, and more.
Snake Plant
The perfect companion for good night sleep. Snake plant or also known as Mother-in-Law’s Tongue (mildly offensive name) is one of the most common and popular air-purifying plants. Trust us, this plant is so forgiving that even if you forget to water it for a month, it will still clean the air in your home. It’s a perfect plant for people with black thumb because it’s the hardest houseplant to kill.
Light: Prefers dry conditions and some light.
Water: Requires occasional watering. Avoid overwatering because the roots are prone to rot in moist soil.
Toxicity: Toxic to cats and dogs.
Eliminates: Benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene.
Learn more about how to care for this plant in our Plant Care blog.
Spider Plant
Coming from your friendly neighborhood Spider Plant! This air-purifying plant is one of the most laid-back and easy plants to care for. If you’re a new plant parent, we recommend this plant because it can survive a little forgetfulness. It’s also safe for your pets.
Light: Prefer bright indirect light, but it can also tolerate low light.
Water: Water it well, but don’t drown it or let it become soggy.
Toxicity: Safe for children and pets.
Eliminates: Formaldehyde and xylene.
Repotting your indoor plants
Greatist made a guide on how to properly repot your indoor air-purifying plants.
Repotting pointers:
- Choose a pot that’s at least one inch in diameter larger than its previous container.
- Put a coffee filter or piece of paper over the drainage holes.
- Add about an inch of soil to the bottom of the new pot.
- Remove the plant from its original pot.
- To promote growth, prune any roots that are straying from the root ball.
- Place the plant in the new container.
- Add soil around the sides of the root ball until the soil is level with the surface of the plant.
- Water it again.
More ways to clean the air in your home
Of course, aside from adding houseplants in your home, there are other ways you can clean the air in your space:
- Avoid synthetic cleaners or air fresheners
- Always keep your home clean
- Increase ventilation
- Lessen humidity in the air
For more tips on how to keep your plants alive and healthy, you can visit our Plant Care page. Happy plant parenting!
