House Plants that Clean the Air in Your Home

House plants will clean the air in your home, giving you nice, fresh and healthy air to breath. Putting natural air cleaning plants in various places will absorb harmful air pollutants in your home and release nice fresh oxygen.

The most common harmful airborne chemicals found in the average home are formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, and carbon monoxide. Even in low concentrations, these chemicals can cause a variety of health problems.

Some of the most effective plants that remove air pollutants in your house are listed below. Care for these plants is also rather easy.

Rubber plants (Ficus robusta) are effective at removing formaldehyde; the rubber plant has thick, dark green shiny leaves. This plant will do well in rooms that don't receive much sunlight.

Palms (bamboo, lady, and areca varieties) are wonderful for removing airborne toxins and can add up to a liter of moisture to the air per day. These are great for counteracting the drying effects of indoor heating systems. Palms are low-maintenance houseplants. They do best in indirect sunlight and their soil should be kept moist but not wet.

Florist Mum (Chrysanthemum) comes in cheerful reds, pinks and yellows. This flowering fall plant is an excellent filter of airborne chemicals such as benzene (emitted by gasoline, ink, paint, and pesticides) and ammonia (common in household cleaning supplies).

English ivy (Hedera helix) is a vigorous climber and thrives in a hanging basket. English Ivy removes formaldehyde from the air. It can be found in nearly a hundred varieties. Ivy likes indirect light and should be kept away from heat registers.

Peace lily (Spathiphyllum), also known as the friendship plant, has long, dark green leaves and the lily will produce a beautiful bloom that looks like a small ear of corn covered with a white hood. It tolerates low light but does best in bright, filtered light.
Formaldehyde is found in virtually all indoor environments. It is used in the manufacture of particle board or pressed wood to make furniture and floor coverings. It is also used to make permanent-pressed clothes, water repellents, fire retardants and many household adhesives. Other sources of formaldehyde include natural gas and kerosene. Formaldehyde irritates the membranes of the eyes, nose, and throat and can cause headaches and allergic dermatitis. If having a few houseplants will help in getting rid of these pollutants it is well worth the effort.

If you have small children or pets, you should keep the plants out of their reach. Some plants are poisonous.

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