Air-Purifying House Plants for the Home

Air-Purifying House Plants for the Home

Air Purifying Plants. Getty Images

Improve your well being by decorating your home with healing plants. Green plants can help set the mood for a more pleasing and relaxed atmosphere. Flowering plants offer color, bring cheer, and spark creativity. Aside from sprucing up the decor of your home or office house some plants serve as natural air purifiers and oxygen generators.

An old wives tale I was told once by a co-worker years ago was to never say thank you when given a plant as a gift or else the plant will shrivel up and die. Don't say thank if you believe this, but do be grateful for the therapeutic and air-filtering qualities of your house plants.

Typical types of toxins that need clearing include:

formaldehyde: found in wood products (plywood, particle board), glues, fabrics (furniture, carpeting), paint, insulation, cleaning products, and more.

benzene: found in plastics, synthetic fibers, nylon, dyes, lubricants, rubber, pesticides, and more.

trichloroethylene: found in paint removers, carpet cleansers, adhesives, and more.

Choose a few green healers from this list of air purifying plants:

• Philodendron
• Peace Lily
• Aloe Vera
• Snake Plant (aka Mother-in-Law's Tongue)
• Spider Plant
• Boston Fern
• Chrysanthemums
• Weeping Fig
• English Ivy
• Gerbera Daisy
• Bamboo Palm
• Asparagus Fern
• Rubber Plant
• Lucky Bamboo

English Ivy. Matthew Ward / Getty Images

English Ivy

Hedera helix

Filters: benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene

Reduces: carbon monoxide

Spider Plant. Lynne Brotchie / Getty Images

Spider Plant

Chlorophytum comosum

Filters: formaldehyde, benzene, xylene

Reduces: Carbon Monoxide

Tips for Growing Spider Plants

Boston Fern. Pamela Moore / Getty Images

Boston Fern

Nephrolepis exaltata

Filters: formaldehyde

Tips for Growing Boston Fern

Varigated Snake Plant. DAJ / Getty Images

Snake Plant (aka Mother-in-Law's Tongue)

Sansevieria trifasciata

Filters: formaldehyde and benzene

Reduces: carbon dioxide

Peace Lily. GavinD / Getty Images

Peace Lily

Spathiphyllum

Filters: benzene, acetone

Tips for Growing Peace Lilies

Filters: formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene

Bamboo Palm

Chamaedorea seifrizil

Gerbera Daisy. Kristin Lee / Getty Images

Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera jamesonii

Filters: trichloroethylene

Growing Tips for Gerber Daises

Aloe Veraa. Claire Gibbs / Getty Images

Aloe Plant

Aloe vera

Filters: formaldehyde and benzene

Philodrendron. Alex Cao / Getty Images

Heart-Shaped Philodendron

Philodendron oxycardium

Filters: formaldehyde

Red Chrysanthemums. Dorling Kindersley / Getty Images

Weeping Fig. Sian Irvine / Getty Images

Air Purifying House Plant: Rubber Plant. Sharon White / Getty Images

Rubber Tree

Ficus elastica

Filters: carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and more

Care instructions for caring for Ficus elastica indoors

Lucky Bamboo. Purestock / Getty Images

Lucky Bamboo

Dracaena sanderiana

Filters: benzene, formaldehyde,and trichloroethylene

Air Purifying Plant: Asparagus Fern. DEA/G.CIGOLINI / Getty Images

Asparagus Fern (aka Lace Fern)

Asparagus plumosus

Antibacterial properties, guards against bacteria and air-borne viruses.

How to Care for Your Asparagus House Plant

Original article and pictures take www.thoughtco.com site