We don’t want to be rude, but there’s a strong chance that the air inside your home is pretty rubbish. Don’t worry, it’s not you: household dust, heaters, cooking fumes and cleaning products all contribute to making indoor air pollution worse than outdoors!
Getting outside more isn’t always an option (we live in the UK, after all!) and the last thing you want to do is spray more chemicals around with air fresheners in plastic bottles.
Luckily, a NASA study showed that the best way to improve air quality is using indoor plants that clean the air and remove toxins – and we hear those guys are pretty clever. So which are the best air purifying plants for your home?
#1: Snake Plant
We love that the other name for this formaldehyde-filtering indoor plant is ‘mother-in-law’s tongue’, although your mother-in-law might not appreciate being compared to these long, spiky leaves, so maybe don’t mention it to her!
Formaldehyde can be found in cleaning and hygiene products so it’s useful having a plant that removes it. Another plus? It’s very hard to kill a snake plant!
Snake Plant
#2: Devil’s Ivy
As well as being of the best indoor plants for air quality, this popular option has the added benefit of being one fine looking plant. It’s got yellowish-green heart-shaped leaves and looks great in a hanging basket decorating your windows.
It works very efficiently to cleanse the air of formaldehyde and benzene. If you live by a road with a lot of traffic, definitely get some of these to fight the effects of the car fumes.
Devil's Ivy
#3: Boston Fern
The cheerful, bouncy appearance of a well-cared-for Boston Fern is a welcome addition to any home. Not only do these plants these indoor plants clean the air by fighting formaldehyde and xylene (from paint, leather, rubber and car exhausts) in your house, they also improve humidity.
While they’re relatively easy to care for, you do need to ensure they keep moist and out of direct light. Keep misting it and checking the dampness in the soil and you’ll ensure this is one of the best air purifying plants in the room!
Boston Fern
#4: Spider Plant
Even arachnophobes will embrace the Spider Plant when they learn it’s the boss among indoor plants that clean the air and remove toxins – NASA’s research showed it removed about 90% of the formaldehyde from the air! It’s a double win when you learn it’s safe even if you’ve got pets.
And the cherry on top? It’s super-easy to grow. Simply give it plenty of bright sunlight and watch it get to work. Because formaldehyde is commonly found in grouting and fillers, spider plants are a good idea for bathrooms and kitchens.
Spider Plant. Photo Credit: Marco Verch
#5: Peace Lily
It’s always nice to have some plants with flowers as well, to brighten up the room. Elegant white blossoms set off the dark green leaves of the Peace Lily, an attractive houseplant for air quality improvement. It gets ride of toxins such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene (impossible to spell and bad for your health to boot!).
They don’t need much light or water to thrive and are extremely efficient at cleaning the air; however, it’s toxic for pets so if you have cats and dogs who like to nibble on the leaves, it might not be for you.
Peace Lily. Photo Credit: Silvia Agrasar on Unsplash
Want more ideas for a healthy home? Check out our blog on cleaning the air at home, or get into some plastic-free gardening!
Great info – as is all that you share and the products that you recommend – however, I really wish that you would have included if these plants are toxic to pets! It’s a big deal to a lot of us.
Thanks :)