Tip 10: House Plants Make Good Air Filters

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Christopher Gavigan

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

If you can believe it, indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air, and cleaning products, aerosols, air fresheners, paints, and disinfectants are some of the main problems. Children and adults in the U.S. spend 90% of their time indoors, which means improving indoor air quality should be a priority. A great way to combat this problem is to cleanse your air with indoor plants.

All plants convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, but some actually remove chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde from the air.

The following is a list of plants that are known to function as efficient air detoxifiers and remove toxins from air (as well as producing essential oxygen, of course). We chose these because of their high efficiency and low maintenance, although points were also awarded to plants with low light requirements or were esthetically pleasing.

Good choices include:

Peace Lily
Chinese Evergreen
Golden Pothos (Devil’s Ivy)
Snake Plant
Daisies
Chrysanthemums
Spider Plants
Australian Umbrella Tree
Dracaena
Ficus
Philodendrons
Aloe Vera
English Ivy
Boston fern.

Remember that plants need to breathe, too. Dust them gently with a damp cloth, moisten the cloth with milk to add some extra shine. Keep their soil or root area clear - some of the air-cleaning action occurs there.

Posted by Mary G. on 09/19/2011 at 04:09 PM

I’ve never seen a cat eat a toxic plant when a non-toxic is available. Case in point: My spider lilies get munched down to the ground if left in cat’s reach, yet my pothos might get a tiny nibble before kitty drools/spits vigorously and heads for the water dish (or the spider plant). My jade tree has never been nibbled at all, while my scillas watch from a distance, unmolested.

The only exception is my purple shamrock, which kitty ate to the ground, then used the pot for a litterbox. (GACK!) The plant list says it’s toxic, but you couldn’t tell it by my kitty! LOL

Posted by cypress bonsai on 06/09/2011 at 11:47 PM

Every plant is a very good air filter. Plants provide fresh oxygen for all of us.

William Anderson

Posted by Growing Houseplants on 04/05/2011 at 03:24 AM

A word of caution about the ‘spider plant’ They are not necessarily pet friendly. There are a few types out there that people refer to as “Spider Plant”. The spider plant actually produces a chemical that works similar to an opiate to a pet. In low doses this may not be a problem, but large doses or extended munching can cause problems.

With any plant accessible to your pets, check the SPCA website and/or consult a vet. Then, watch your pet to see if they leave it alone. I manage to keep some of these plants away from my pets through the use of red pepper sprinkled around the containers.

more article for Spider Plant :
http://growing-houseplants.com/growing-the-spider-plant.html

Posted by Mia on 04/05/2011 at 03:19 AM

Houseplants clean up to 87% of the air pollutants in the air of an average home. Just as nature intended, plants in the home can filter the air that we breathe. Plants can take any stale indoor room, purify it, and renew it.

Read more: http://growing-houseplants.com/

Posted by Steven Keltsch on 08/18/2010 at 10:24 AM

Here are a few plants that could be added to the list. This additional list is thought to be most effective in counteracting offgassing chemicals and also helpful to a balanced internal humidity.

Plants like, Areca palm, Reed palm, Dwarf date palm, Janet Craig dracaena, Australian sword fern, Rubber plant, Weeping fig, and Peace Lily. Thank you for providing this list of house plant that can help to purify our indoor air.

Posted by MomOfTwins on 06/19/2010 at 05:51 AM

I have a few comments/questions:

You have listed AUSTRALIAN UMBRELLA TREE and I have been told and read it is a Poisonous plant that create dangers around your home for babies, toddlers, infants and children. So why is it listed here for safe plants?

If you’ve got kids or pets, take care about where you place ENGLISH IVY. The plant is toxic, so keep it away from animals or young children who might consume it.

Posted by Katie on 04/24/2009 at 11:59 AM

There is a TED talk on this! (See link: 4-minute video.) The plants they recommend are Areca palm, Snake plant/mother-in-law’s tongue, and Money plant (epipremnum aureum). The statistics given in the video about the Delhi office building are fascinating!

Posted by Bulimia Treatment on 05/06/2008 at 10:33 AM

Of course that you need to refresh the air in your house, that is quite logic to me… I open the windows for 10-15 minutes every morning and every evening. This procedure helps the air refresh.

Posted by teren deschidere drum judetean on 02/23/2008 at 05:20 AM

Posted by Natalie on 11/14/2006 at 02:53 PM

Since we primarily focus on children’s environmental health, this isn’t at the fore of our research. However, as a fellow cat lover, I’ve done some research on the topic and found so many sites, this is what the ASPCA has to say on the topic: <a href=“http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_nontoxicplants” rel=“nofollow”>http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_nontoxicplants</a>

Posted by catlover on 11/14/2006 at 11:35 AM

Is there a list of plants that are non-toxic for cats?

Posted by MARLA WESSEL on 10/15/2006 at 07:01 PM

REMEMBER THAT PLANTS CAN CONTAIN MOLDS OR GROW MOLDS - YOU MIGHT THROW THAT POSSIBILITY INTO THE SOLUTION AND OFFER HOW TO AVOID MOLD GROWTH ON ONE’S HOUSE PLANTS (HOW DO YOU?)

THANKS FOR AN OTHERWISE GOOD TIP!

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