Air-purifying indoor plants are a valuable thing to have in the house.
They give beauty and elegance to the home environment, brighten up spaces and guarantee us a healthier living space.
In addition, having plants in the house is an excellent anti-stress therapy: taking care of them, in fact, is good for both your health and mood.
There are several types of air-purifying indoor plants.
How do they work?
It is well known that through chlorophyll synthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the environment.
A famous NASA study has shown that some types of plants can also neutralize the volatile organic compounds that are often present in all our homes, such as dust, cigarette smoke, bacteria, formaldehyde and other chemicals.
In addition, in the process of transpiration, plants draw water through their leaves, thus limiting the humidity present in closed spaces.
We can, therefore, consider plants as beautiful “natural filters” that purify the air and can be used in all rooms of the house.
Are Plants Really Enough To Purify The Air In Your Home?
They surely give us a great help.
However, we must specify that in order to have important results in improving air quality, we should keep a large number of plants in the house, a mini jungle to be precise!
Unfortunately, their superpowers have to come to grips with a home that is constantly exposed to pollutants: furniture and upholstery, cleaning products, wall paint, dust, smoke, etc…
So, yes, surround yourself with plants, but don’t forget to open the windows or help yourself to an air purifier!
10+ Air-purifying Indoor Plants Perfect For Your Home
See also:
- Recycled Projects: 25 DIY Ideas That Actually Make A Difference
- Genius Kitchen Hacks: 17 Amazing Ideas You Will Love
Let’s see the most effective types and their characteristics of air-purifying Indoor Plants.
#1 Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is one of the main apartment plants that purify the air: it eliminates, in fact, benzene and formaldehyde.
It grows in the apartment without needing too many cares and needs only a bright environment and very little water.
#2 Sansevieria
Perfect for those who tend to forget to take care of their greenery: they require occasional watering and live well in bright or shady environments, varying only the speed of growth.
The Sansevieria lives well in the shade and is certainly among the best indoor plants that purify the air: beautiful with its striped and fleshy leaves that absorb formaldehyde, a substance contained in many detergents used at home for cleaning.
This plant it is beautiful to see and decorates any type of environment.
#3 Orchids
Beautiful orchids also purify the air by absorbing xylene from the environment.
With a little extra care and lots of light, you’ll have your own little garden and a valuable aid against household pollution.
They are perfect in the living room, but are also suitable for open bathrooms and bedrooms.
It is precisely when we sleep that we get the most benefit from them: they are among the few plants capable of emitting not only carbon dioxide but also good quantities of oxygen.
They also capture many different types of pollutants thus helping to improve the quality of our sleep.
#4 Pothos
Pothos really needs very little care and will give you great satisfaction, as well as really striking waterfall decorations.
Is a very robust plant and is able to grow even in low light.
Perfect for the bathroom or kitchen, it removes carbon monoxide from your home.
#5 Spider Plant
This is the plant for you if you are not a plant expert.
Easy to raise it just needs a lot of light.
Thanks to its dense foliage and white flowers the plant is able to filter benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and xylene.
Is perfect for reducing the impact of cigarette smoke.
#6 Chrysanthemum
The colorful flowers of the chrysanthemum will not only add a touch of vibrancy to your home, but will also help you filter out benzene, which is normally present in adhesives, paints, plastics and detergents.
Does not need special care, just place it near a window with plenty of light and that’s it.
#7 Ficus
This plant purifies the air from many pollutants such as formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and benzene.
Ficus loves warm and luminous environments, it does not tolerate water stagnation and draughts.
It should be placed in the house where there is the right exposition to sunlight and it should never lack regular watering.
#8 Peace Lily
This lily requires a shady exposure and regular watering once a week in order to produce its candid white flowers.
It is unbeatable in combating the most common volatile organic compounds such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene but is also effective with toluene and xylene.
This beautiful plant likes bright, high humidity rooms (kitchens and bathrooms with windows are perfect).
#9 Boston Fern
This beautiful evergreen plant is very easy to cultivate and has an excellent ability to absorb odors in general and in particular the harmful dust in suspension that are released by paints, solvents and even electronic equipment that populate our environment.
It is important that the plant is well exposed in a bright place but away from direct light.
#10 Philodendron Oxycardium
This climbing plant is not recommended in those families where there are small children or pets, as it is extremely toxic if ingested.
On the other hand, it is excellent in filtering volatile pollutants, especially formaldehyde.
#11 Hedera helix
This is an evergreen climbing plant, which grows easily and is ideal for covering walls and fences.
Also perfect as a groundcover, even in shady areas.
It is also a plant that purifies the air and particularly effective against formaldehyde and benzene.
It reduces the spread of polluting particles transmitted by the feces of pets, so its benefits also involve lovers of four-legged friends.
#12 Bamboo Plant
This small palm grows well in shady areas and often produces flowers and small fruits.
It is one of the best natural filters against benzene and trichloroethylene but is also capable of neutralizing formaldehyde.