“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”
– John Muir
Physical and emotional health are the yin and yang of your wellbeing. To have a healthy outlook on life, it’s important to have a healthy body. Spending time around nature makes us feel calm, happy, refreshed, and peaceful.
Add flowers to your room or a plant to your desk, and you’ll feel the vibe change and stress go down. Plants calm down our sympathetic nervous system and help manage stress better.
So, let’s see which are the best plants to purify air indoors for you.
CONTENT LIST
- What studies say about plants purifying air
- 10 best indoor plants to purify air
- How many plants in a room
- Which plants to buy
- Which plant works the best
- What herbs clean indoor air
Do plants really purify air
We generally think that the air in our home is much cleaner than outdoors because, well for starters, there are no vehicles inside!
But even though the things that we normally associate with pollution aren’t affecting the indoor air quality, home cleaners, air fresheners, disinfectants, cooking, aerosol sprays, building materials all give out harmful irritants called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These usually cause headaches, dizziness, and nose-throat irritation but can also cause serious illnesses.
The United Nations Development Program (1998) that toxic indoor air caused an estimated two million deaths each year.
Plants detoxify particulate matter including pollutants through a process called phytoremediation, where they absorb, degrade, and then detoxify these chemicals.
They also change the mold and bacteria composition in their environment. It means, they remove microorganisms that can cause breathing issues.
Plus, the basic things that they do – take in carbon dioxide and process it to give out oxygen – also undoubtedly improves air quality. But, it’s also important to know that only a few of them give out oxygen at night as well.
According to a study published in September 2004, indoor potted plants can remove over 300 VOCs that have been found in indoor air. But it also showed that the micro-organisms of the potting mix also play a big role in cleaner indoor air.
10 best indoor plants to purify air in your home
Though the 10 best indoor plants to purify the air in your home would depend on your personal preference and style, here is a list to show you their detoxifying capacity to get you started.
The commonly featuring pollutants toluene and xylene are found in many glue, nail polishes, and paints. Carbon monoxide is found in homes with smokers.
1. Golden Pathos
What you should know: A hardy plant that can survive lower light and colder temperatures than other plants on this list.
Removes toxins: Carbon monoxide and formaldehyde.
2. Peace Lily
What you should know: Likes light to moderate shade, temperature below 55 degrees. Does well with weekly watering but can survive longer without water. Blooms in Spring.
Removes toxins: benzene, hydrocarbon, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and ammonia.
3. Orchid
What you should know: Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium varieties are the best. Give off oxygen at night. Require weekly watering and gentle shade.
Removes toxins: toluene and xylene
4. Snake Plant
What you should know: Can survive for very long without water but does well with weekly watering. Likes bright areas.
Removes toxins: benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and ammonia
5. Dwarf Date Palm
What you should know: Only date palm that grows indoors. Likes brightest light or direct sunlight.
Removes toxins: Xylene, toluene, and formaldehyde.
6. Cornstalk Plant
What you should know: It likes low light and temperatures below 90 degrees.
Removes toxins: benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene and ammonia.
7. Lady Palm
What you should know: High humidity, well-drained soil, temperature above 60 degrees.
Removes toxins: benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, ammonia, and trichloroethylene.
8. Weeping Fig
What you should know: Likes morning sunlight or brightly lit room.
Removes toxins: Xylene, toluene, and formaldehyde.
9. Devil’s Ivy
What you should know: Likes bright indirect light.
Removes toxins: benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene
10. Spider Plant
What you should know: Needs minimum light. So, good for mantlepieces and dark corners.
Removes toxins: carbon monoxide, xylene, and formaldehyde.
How many plants do I need to purify air
According to an air purifying plants study conducted by NASA in 1989, you should have at least one potted plant per 100 square feet of indoor space. But, Bill Wolverton who conducted that study, later recommended two ‘good sized’ plants per 100 square feet.
The ratio changes depending on the number of family members, types of products used, size of room, type of plant and such. But generally speaking, it would mean a large potted plant or a few smaller plants in the family room.
Think bigger leaves and leafier plants.
Which plants should you buy to detoxify indoor air
Anything you bring into your home will interact in some way with your life. So, it’s a good idea to consider a few things before you decide which plants to buy.
- How much time can you spare to care for them?
- Where would you like to keep them?
- Flowering, non-flowering, big, or small?
- Ask your local nursery, which plants are suited to your climate as otherwise they can decay.
- If you have pets or young kids, make sure the plants you choose are non-toxic for them.
- Would you like to buy plants or begin with a small indoor veg & herbs planter garden grown from scraps?
The best plants to purify air indoors would be geranium, orchids, azalea, and anthuriums if you want flowering plants. And if you are looking for the leafy variety, go for golden pothos, lady palm, aloe vera, or cornstalk plant which are easier to care indoors.
Which plant purifies the air the most
Boston fern is the most effective when it comes to cleaning up toxins from the air. But it takes a lot of care to maintain it indoors. As suggested by NASA scientist Bill Wolverton, the best plant to purify air when starting out would be golden pothos because of its easy maintenance and capacity to detoxify indoor air.
Snake plant, orchids, plams, spider plant are some of the other efficient but easier to maintain options that you can explore.
What herbs clean indoor air
Plant basil, rosemary, mint, lavender in your kitchen planter garden as they are the best plants to purify air and add flavor to your food.
You can grow basil from scraps. Stand the stem in water near a sunny window. The water should cover the bottom part and the stem should have a leaf or two attached. Change the water every couple days and when thick roots come out, transplant it into a pot.
Did you know, you can also grow coriander from scraps. Just leave the thick stalks in a jar with water till you see roots coming out. Then, plant them in a plantar to have a fresh supply of cilantro in your kitchen.
Some other easy-to-grow plants indoors from scraps are scallions and cabbage. Just place the thick white parts in a dish of water near a sunny window and keep harvesting from there.
If you choose wisely, the touches of greenery in your home that lift the mood and relaxes you, can also be best plants to purify air. Even though their efficiency as indoor air detoxifiers is still being questioned by some experts, it’s a good option to reduce the problem.
Take your pick to improve wellbeing and brighten up your home interiors.
Watch this video for tips to improve your overall wellbeing through true self-care 👇
Which indoor plant would suit you best? Let us know in the comments below
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I love the idea of house plants but always seem to struggle to keep them alive! I do love aloe Vera plants as they are so easy to care for.
Yes, they are!…and aloe vera has loads of medicinal and cosmetic benefits too.