English Ivy
Houseplants Clean Pollutants
Clean smells do not always mean clean air. There are many pollutants in the air, and home air filters can only do so much to detoxify what we breath. NASA, in association with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, studied houseplants as a way to purify the air. The joint study concluded there are many houseplants that filter out chemicals, many of which are found in household cleaning products.
In 2008, Dutch researchers found that hospital patients who had plants in their room had lower stress level than those without them. The American Society for Horticultural Science’s study found three common house plants were able to filter some of the ozone released indoors from copy machines, laser printers, and ultraviolet lights. The toxic effects of ozone on humans are pulmonary edema, hemorrhage, inflammation, and reduced lung function.
The benefits of some indoor houseplants not only detoxifies the air breath, but it can also can reduce colds, increase brain functions, reduce stress, lower anxiety, and may get you a better night’s sleep. Here are some beautiful plants that have a hidden medicinal effect on you.
English Ivy
English Ivy is the number one plant endorsed by the NASA study, as it may help respiratory problems and asthma. This plant has a purifying score of 7.8 and it is the most effective plant when it comes to absorbing formaldehyde, commonly found in cleaning products, toilet paper, tissues and personal care products. English Ivy has been known to reduce airborne mold by 78% and fecal matter particles by 58%. Be cautious where you place English ivy in your home, since it is toxic if ingested.
Aloe Vera
The Aloe Vera plant has many healing properties and can help clear the air of pollutants found in chemical cleaning products, such as formaldehyde and benzene.
When the amount of harmful chemicals in the air becomes excessive, the plants’ leaves will display some brown spots. NASA’s study showed that the Aloe Vera plant is one of the best plants to improve the air quality since it produces oxygen at night. These plants may provide you with a better night’s sleep.
Spider Plant
The Spider Plant made NASA’s list of one of the best air purifying houseplants. They are very effective at fighting air pollutants including formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, xylene, and benzene.
Snake plant
The Snake Plant is known to filtering out formaldehyde. This plant thrives in low light and humid conditions and at the same time helps filter out air pollutants.
Peace Lily
The Peace Lily plant is at the top of NASA’s list for removing formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. It can also combat toluene and xylene. It has a purifying score of 7.5.
Bamboo Palm
The Bamboo Palm is one of NASA’s top clean air plants with a purifying score of 8.4. It’s also particularly effective at removing benzene and trichloroethylene from the air in our homes.
Golden pothos
According to NASA’s study, the Golden Pothos plant clear formaldehyde from the air.
The air in your home will also benefit from these houseplants, since they have some great filtering capabilities: Gardenia, Jasmine, Lavender,and Valerian plant
For a list of some common houseplants that are toxic, please click here.
Which houseplants do you have in your home?