As the autumn season approaches, the days become shorter and the nights become crisper. Most of us begin to think of moving indoors and spending less time in the fresh air.
If your home is old enough to be leaky and drafty, you may not need to worry about the many pollutants that can become trapped indoors with us. But, if you live in a newer, energy efficient home with windows and doors tightly sealed, or you work in a building where circulation is poor and the air is stale, these pollutants have less opportunity to move to the outside.
What NASA says about houseplants
Over the years our space program has led the way to an important discovery about the role of houseplants indoors. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been researching methods to cleanse the atmosphere in future space stations to keep them fit for human habitation. In doing this research, NASA has found that many common houseplants and blooming potted plants help fight pollution that occurs indoors.
The science of plants
Plant scientists already knew this! Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen as part of the photosynthetic process.
Now researchers have found many houseplants can absorb benzene, formaldehyde and many other air pollutants that are created as gases when we install man-made materials such as carpets, laminates, paints, wallpapers and fabrics in our homes.
While saving energy and money is important to all of us, we must remember that it is crucial to our indoor environment to have clean, fresh air in our homes. So, houseplants take on a larger role in our homes (and all interior environments for that matter) than merely providing beauty in the décor. They contribute to balancing internal humidity and cleansing the air we breathe.
The top twelve air purifiers
Here is a list of houseplants that have been found to play an important role in removing air borne pollutants:
- English Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
- Pothos (Epipiremnum)
- Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii)
- Philodendron (Philodendron scandens)
- Selloum (Philodendron selloum)
- Dracaena (Dracaena marginata)
- Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans ‘Massangeana’)
- Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensis ‘Janet Craig’)
- Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
- Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
Helpful tips to know
- Studies by NASA have generated the recommendation that you use one 6-8” houseplant per every 100 square feet of living space. Think about it. This is probably more than you currently have in your home and it is time to add some.
- Houseplants need dusting just like any other “accessory” in your home. When you allow dust to accumulate on the leaves of your plants, they cannot do the work they are meant to do in helping to purify the air. So, be sure to regularly clean the leaves of dust and debris from your plants.
Enjoy your home in every way possible. Use houseplants to add beauty and nature to your space. At the same time reap the benefits of what nature allows them to do for the air. Houseplants such as these top twelve are what can be called “natural clean air machines”. You, your home and all your interior environments deserve to be healthy spaces – start now to clean up your air!
Happy Fall!!!
***A special thank you to Townside Gardens Nursery in Roanoke, VA for providing the plant photos! ***
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Original article and pictures take www.livinginperfectharmony.com site
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