Indoor Plants that Improve Health & Wellness

Most people spend 90% of their time indoors. Of that 90%, most likely do not pay close attention to air quality, or even think about it, until it becomes a noticeable issue. According to NASA, indoor air pollutants are one of the top five risks to public health. The stagnant air inside your home or office allows pollutants to build up, concentrating in the air we breathe. This can make us sick and generally uncomfortable.

There’s an easy, natural way to clean the air around us, and it can be done with a simple trick to the local home improvement store. Use ordinary houseplants to improve the air quality inside your space.

Houseplants to Clean the Air–Really?

House plants might not seem like they do much of anything, but they play a large role in purifying the air all around us. Plants improve air quality by absorbing particulates from the air while taking in carbon dioxide.using photosynthesis, they turn this into oxygen which is released back into the air.

A 1989 NASA study showed that houseplants can remove up to 87 percent of indoor pollutants like benzene and formaldehyde within 24 hours. That’s nothing short of impressive. Boost your well-being and breathe easier with these air quality superstars in your home.

Aloe Vera
Aloe is an excellent all-purpose succulent plant that’s easy to care for. Use the leaves to treat sunburns, and wounds. With some watering every week or two, an aloe plant can grow to three feet tall. The smaller species like aloe vera, which will thrive in a bright corner.

Garden Mum
In the NASA research, this plant was an air-purifying champion, removing ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene from indoor air. Popular and inexpensive at garden stores, they can be planted outside after they’re finished blooming.

Spider Plant
Perfect for those without a green thumb, these are among the easiest houseplants to grow. Spider plants enjoy bright, indirect sunlight and will remove harmful formaldehyde and xylene from the air.

Peace Lily
Hardy, resilient and shade loving, peace lilies are a perfect beginner plant. They’ll produce beautiful white blooms with minimal care. When their leaves begin to droop that’s their way of letting you know they’re thirsty and need watering. Put one inside to remove ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the air.

Bamboo Palm
These guys need full sun or bright light to thrive. These pet-friendly indoor plants can grow as high as 12 feet. With that kind of size, imagine the amount of impurities they can filter out of the air!

Ficus Tree
These indoor trees impress with their shiny leaves. Be sure to give them full sun and moderate room temperatures, as well as several days of dry soil in between watering.

Find plenty of house plants in Houston at your local home and garden store. You’ll be breathing better in no time.

This post is supported by RedFin.

Get the Green Living Ideas book in softcover or PDF for as low as $2.99!

Related

Tags: air pollution, air quality, ammonia, benzene, diy, formaldehyde, Gardening, houseplants, indoor air pollution, indoor plants, plants, trichloroethylene