Sadly, most household, even air conditioned ones, are not toxin-free. This is particularly true if you have a smoker in the house, if you cook with a lot of oil, if your window opens on to a busy road, or if your house is not well ventilated or doesn’t get a lot of sun. So no matter how well your house is done up, chances are you and your family are breathing in impure air.
Fortunately, there are a number of indoor plants that, apart from adding some color to your room, also serve to clean the indoor air quickly and efficiently. These plants are low maintenance and easy to grow. Of course, they aren’t just for homes. If you spend a lot of hours in an office cubicle or cabin, you should consider keeping one or more of these plants around to filter your air for you.
So choose a few plants from this list of five best indoor plants for keeping the air clean, healthy, and toxin-free:
If trimmed regularly, the areca palm plant can grow shoulder height. Keep it in a corner near the window or door that opens on to the road. Be sure to wipe your plan’s leaves regularly.
2. Rubber Plant
If excessive humidity has turned your home’s atmosphere dank and foetid, you need a rubber plant to clear the air. Rubber plants can grow straight and tall, or in a bush, so keep in mind your space constraints when you specify what type your want at the nursery. Rubber plants soak up moisture from the air, thus making it difficult for microbes to grow. In dry weather, keep your rubber plant fresh by spraying the leaves with water every few hours.
3. Snake Plant
The Snake Plant, so named because of the shape of the leaves, is also colorfully called the Mother-in-law’s Tongue Plant. This is an ideal plant to place in your kids’ bedrooms, because it tends to absorb carbon dioxide rather than release it. For this reason, you should keep a few Snake Plants around, if you have a lot of indoor plants. This plant grows well away from the sun, but you must not over-water it.
4. Money Plant
Leafy and luscious, this creeper plant makes any room look peaceful and serene, but it also kicks ass when it comes to air cleaning! Money plants rid the air of formaldehydes and nitrogen oxides. They are very easy to keep, and will grow out of a glass bottle or a broken bulb filled with water. Money plants should be kept hanging or on high ledges indoors, as their leaves can be dangerous if accidentally eaten by household pets.
5. Chinese Evergreens
Chinese Evergreens are my favorite types of indoor plants because I just love their color and the way their leaves fan the air. The Chinese Evergreen is also a remarkable air cleansing agent in its own right. This plant can convert a smelly, polluted room into a fresh one in a day, simply by filtering out toxins.
