Check out our list of common household plants that clean the air, plus try our tips for displaying your plants and keeping them healthy.
Healthy Plants, Clean Air
Research has determined certain household plants act as natural ‘indoor air scrubbers’ that can substantially improve the air quality inside your home.
Going far beyond simply producing fresh oxygen, certain indoor plants can also filter toxins like benzene and formaldehyde that often exist in our indoor environment because they are used in the manufacturing of numerous materials found in most households.
If you have an average 200-square-foot living room with 8-9-foot ceilings, 2-3 medium-sized plants will make a great contribution to improving the air quality. For other areas of the home, try to use at least 1 plant per 100 square feet.
Plants that Keep Air Clean
Plants are highly efficient at absorbing chemicals in the air through microscopic openings in their leaves. Once these plants absorb the bad stuff, they either break down the chemical or send it to their root system where it is released into the soil and broken down.
Many plants can help purify the air, but researchers have found that these common household plants are air-filtering all-stars:
Helpful Plants
Flowering:
Peace Lily
Gerbera Daisy
Pot Mum
Green Leafy Plants:
Corn Plant
Golden Pothos
English Ivy
Bamboo or Reed Palm
Warneckii
Janet Craig
Marginata
Chinese Evergreen
Display Your Plants
Light requirements for indoor plants vary widely by type, and not all of them need to be displayed in front of a window. Check your plant care tag for instructions and avoid placing a plant too close to a cold, drafty window in the winter.
Plants can be a colorful complement to your home décor. Try these tips for displaying them throughout your home:
- Tall, stately plants like Bamboo Palm and Corn Plant can create a dramatic look in the corner of a room potted in a large planter. Give the display a modern, natural flair by setting small pots of Golden Pothos at the base of the tall plants to fill out the bottom.
- Create a Zen-like indoor rock garden by covering the bottom of a waterproof tray with smooth, round pebbles. Cover the pebbles with water and place a few potted plants on top.
- Use a chrome or brass kitchen hanging basket to display plants that sprout flowing runners like Golden Pothos and English Ivy.
- Make a colorful tiled base for potted flowering plants like Pot Mum, Peace Lily and Gerbera Daisy. Set a plastic mat on the surface where you’d like to display your flowers and arrange patterned or solid colored ceramic tiles over the plastic mat. Experiment with different floral arrangements and sizes and change them with the seasons.
- Window boxes can be a beautiful addition inside, too. Place clusters of plants inside a decorative window box, and set on a shelf, mantel or hall table to bring the natural look of the outdoors, inside your home.
Care for Your Plants
Read the care tag that comes with your plant for guidance on specific light, temperature, soil and watering recommendations. Also keep these tips in mind for keeping your plants healthy and working at peak air-cleaning condition:
- Some plants don’t need as much water as others, so be careful not to over water. As a general rule, water a plant if it feels dry an inch or more into the soil depth.
- Using a pot with a drainage hole in the bottom will help you avoid over-watering. Stop watering when water flows from the drainage hole and into the collection saucer. Pour the excess water from the saucer.
- Cold tap water can be a shock to your plants’ roots in the winter, so try using room temperature water.
- Adjust your watering schedule to account for drier conditions in the winter when the furnace is running.
- Good potting soil is your best option for healthy indoor plants. While your garden soil may look rich and healthy, it might have bacteria, insects or fungus that could harm your plants.
With a little tender loving care, these vibrant plants can be amazing helpers for keeping the air in your home clean and healthy for years to come.
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