Guide to House Plants: Tips for Clean Air

Just about everyone has at least a couple of house plants at home, but what many people don't know as that they offer a bevy of benefits in terms of keeping the air clean and protecting your family's health.

Some are easy to take care of and others not so much, but some are better than others when it comes to cleansing the air of specific potentially harmful substances you will find in today's modern household.

With so many people suffering from various ailments, clean air is one of the most important keys to keeping your health as strong as it can be.

Here is a guide featuring some of the best house plants for clean air at home:

Best flowering plants for cleansing- Among the plants that are useful for cleaning the air are the azalea, chrysanthemum, and poinsettia.

All three of these plants are well known to even the amateur home greenthumb, and all three help filter out some common home contaminants from things such as gas stoves, furniture, insulation and more.

The azalea and the ponsettia are both effective against the potentially harmful gas formaldehyde, and the chrysanthemum is effective against benzene. Benzene is a substance given off by computers and other similar devices, both of which are common in today's houses. Plants like these are highly effective at cleaning the air.

Best non-flowering plants for cleansing- The snake plant is one of the easiest plants to take care of and also one of the most effective for cleaning your family's home environment and removing potential toxins from the air.

The snake plant is effective against both formaldehyde and benzen so these bushy, dark green plants with flowing leaves are a great, fairly low-cost addition to any home work space. This one is probably the best starter plant for people looking for cleaner air because of how east it is to take care of and how little light, water and food the snake plant needs.

Another chemical to watch out for is trichlorothylene, or TCE. Two non-flowering plants that are effective against this gas are the English ivy and the pothos plant.

The ivy requires brihgt light and is a little more difficult to take care of but it is well worth it to help counteract the effects of TCE in the air, which is an important function for some households. The pothos is a similar plant to the ivy in terms of how to take care of it, although it needs less sunlight, just a medium to low amount.

Other non-flowering plants that are effective against TCE include the Dracaena Janet Craig (variegated variety as opposed to the solid green) and the dragon plant.

The dragon plant is another plant that is easy to take care of, as it only requires water when it shows brown tips or other signs of dryness.

These are just a handful examples of some of the best house plants out there for clean air. Keep these ones in mind next time you go to the nursery for better health for you and your family.

Source: English Gardens nursery brochure