I love plants, because they are beautiful to look at, and fun to care for, if I give them the correct amount of water and sunlight.
But did you know that in addition to bring nature inside, they can also clean the air in our indoor environments? My grocery store has a nice selection of ferns, peace lilies and spider plants specifically for cleaning the air naturally.
NASA Uses Plants to Clean The Space Station
NASA did a study to find a way to clean the air in the space station, and came up with the natural solution of using air cleaning indoor plants. They recommend one air cleaning plant per 100 square feet as a means to naturally clean the air. They also consulted B.C. Wolverton’s book “How To Grow Fresh Air - 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home Or Office to determine which types of plants removed which types of chemicals.
We know that plants produce oxygen.and indoor plants can absorb contaminants like benzene and the cancer causing formaldehyde. They also filter mold spores and bacteria that are often present in a “sick building.”,according to studies. In a natural way, these plants can help you produce more fresh at home and work so you will feel better and breathe better.
The 'snake plant’ pictured above is also called 'the bedroom plant' because it removes the carbon dioxide at night while you are sleeping. Test also have shown plants can also increase your blood oxygen level.
Some common air cleaning plants according to NASA include:
Garden mum
Dracaena
Ferns
Aloe Vera
Spider plants
Peace lilies
Snake plants
Elephant ears
Weeping figs
Rubber plants
Bamboo plants
Areca palms
The NASA study listed the plants above because they are easy to care for and widely available. Since we spend most of our time indoors toxic compounds can be found in upholstered furniture and carpets. The plants help our air quality by taking in carbon dioxide and converting it to oxygen, and the soil of the plants also have micro-organisms that clean the air.
The peace lilies shown above are air purifying, but also have beautiful white flowers that sprout out of them.
Decorating your home and office with plants is an investment that not only enhances the looks of your environment but provides you with good clean energy and health benefits at the same time. You also get the benefits of caring for living plants.
Photos my own.