Learn what plants do a good job cleaning your indoor air and making your air healthy. Certain houseplants clean your indoor air, scrubbing the air you breathe indoors of harmful indoor pollutants, like benzene, formaldehyde and acetone. This video shows you which houseplants are easy to grow and do a good job of cleaning your indoor air. Those plants include peace lily, pothos, spider plant, dieffenbachia, arrowhead plant, anthurium, rubber tree, Schefflera and dracaena. Discover how these easy to grow plants clean your indoor air and how you can take advantage of their air-cleaning abilities.
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Hello and welcome to HealthyHouseplants.com, where we teach you all about gardening in the great indoors. Today’s video is sponsored by our Amazon affiliate link, which you’ll see in the comment section below.
Today, I’m going to talk to you about how houseplants will happily clean your indoor air. It’s actually one of their main jobs: to clean your indoor air and to make it nice and pretty while they do it. They make your house pretty, and they also clean your air at the same time, making it very healthy.
In the late 1990s, I interviewed BC Wolverton, the author of the seminal book in this area, “How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office.” It was very revolutionary at the time, and I have a few articles where I have interviewed him about how houseplants clean the air and how it all came about.
BC Wolverton’s research began while he was working for NASA, developing technology that would enable humans to live in closed environments on the Moon or Mars. His research showed that houseplants act as the lungs and kidneys of buildings. They are the quickest and most effective filters of dangerous common air pollutants, including ammonia, xylene, benzene, and formaldehyde. These chemicals can cause everything from allergy and asthma symptoms to sick building syndrome when they’re trapped inside homes.
Houseplants can scour your home of these sorts of chemicals. You might wonder if you have these pollutants in your home. The answer is yes, you do. Packaging materials contain these chemicals, and products like nail polish remover and harsh cleaning agents also release them. Even particle board furniture is full of them, and carpeting is another source, especially when it’s new. These items release chemicals into the air as they outgas.
The great news is that plants like these beautiful varieties will do a great job of cleaning the air. Houseplants clean indoor air in two ways: they absorb pollutants into their leaves and transmit the toxins to their roots, where they’re transformed into a source of food for the plant. The other way they clean the air is by emitting water vapors, which creates a pumping action that pulls dirty air down around the plant’s roots, where it is once again converted into food for the plants.
This is a really cool thing to know. For those of you with allergies and asthma, there’s good news. Doctors often tell people to get all the plants out of the house and avoid soil to prevent asthma symptoms. However, BC Wolverton told me years ago that this advice is actually the opposite. Thankfully, I would have continued to grow houseplants anyway. I’ve been growing indoor plants since I was seven, but I could do it knowing that the advice was false.
BC Wolverton also found that plants could clean the air of mold and mildew spores. I’ve noticed that when I’m in environments with few indoor plants, my asthma symptoms worsen, while being in homes with more humidity from plants makes it better. If you’re still concerned, you can use gravel or horticultural sand to mulch the soil. This will keep any mold spores from coming into the air, and it will help keep your soil moist longer, so you won’t need to water as frequently.
Now, what are some of the top plants for purifying indoor air? In BC Wolverton’s book, many of the 50 plants listed can be grown indoors. I have examples of some of the top air cleaners right here.
First, we have Jasminum. You can see any plants in the Jasminum family can be great air cleaners. Another excellent choice is the Schefflera. This plant can grow quite large, and remember, the bigger the plant, the more foliage, the more it will clean your air.
The Peace Lily is another lovely plant with pretty white flowers when it blooms, and it does a great job of cleaning your indoor air. The Anthurium is also effective; it has a nice bath that resembles a flower.
Many Ivy varieties are great for air purification. It’s important to have plants around your home; the closer they are to you, the cleaner the air you’ll breathe.
Another top air cleaner is the Spider Plant. This plant, affectionately named Lucy, has been the star of a few videos, and she’s doing great. Spider plants gained a lot of attention in the 90s as excellent air cleaners.
We also have Diffenbachia, a great air cleaner that has been featured in recent videos. There are also several types of palms, which do a fabulous job of cleaning indoor air and can grow quite large.
The Arrowhead Plant is another gorgeous option, known for its beautiful variegated leaves. I have a video on how to grow this plant and keep it healthy. We shouldn’t forget the Philodendron; it’s a lovely vining plant, distinct from pothos and Monstera deliciosa, which is a different species.
We also have the Croton, a large and variegated plant that does a fabulous job of purifying the air. Last but not least is the Ficus Rubber Tree Plant, which is also an excellent air cleaner.
As you can see, there’s a wide variety of plants that effectively clean your indoor air. As I always say, the more houseplants you have in your home, the merrier, the prettier, and now you can say that the more houseplants you have, the healthier your air will be.
Thank you for stopping by today! Please leave any comments about indoor gardening tutorials you’d like to see, and remember to like, comment, subscribe, and share this video.
Frequently Asked Questions about Houseplants and Indoor Air Quality
How do houseplants clean indoor air?
Houseplants clean indoor air by absorbing pollutants into their leaves and transmitting toxins to their roots, where they’re transformed into a source of food for the plant. They also emit water vapors, creating a pumping action that pulls dirty air down around the plant’s roots.
What pollutants do houseplants filter from the air?
Houseplants can filter dangerous common air pollutants, including ammonia, xylene, benzene, and formaldehyde, which can cause allergy symptoms, asthma, and sick building syndrome.
Do I have indoor air pollutants in my home?
Yes, most homes contain indoor air pollutants due to packaging materials, nail polish remover, harsh cleaning agents, particle board furniture, and new carpeting.
Can houseplants help with allergies and asthma?
Yes, houseplants can help with allergies and asthma by improving indoor air quality. Contrary to some medical advice, having plants indoors can actually reduce asthma symptoms.
What are some top plants for purifying indoor air?
Some of the top plants for purifying indoor air include:
- Jasminum
- Schefflera
- Peace Lily
- Anthurium
- Various Ivy species
- Spider Plant
- Diffenbachia
- Palms
- Arrowhead Plant
- Philodendron
- Croton
- Ficus Rubber Tree Plant
How can I prevent mold and mildew in plant soil?
You can prevent mold and mildew in plant soil by using gravel or horticultural sand to mulch the soil, which keeps any mold spores from coming into the air and helps keep the soil moist longer.
Why should I have more houseplants in my home?
The more houseplants you have, the healthier your indoor air quality will be. They not only beautify your space but also contribute to a healthier living environment.
Where can I find more indoor gardening tutorials?
You can find more indoor gardening tutorials by visiting HealthyHouseplants.com, where you can learn about various plants and how to care for them.
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