House Plants for Cleaner Air
We’re all spending way more time indoors than usual these days, and less time outside means less exposure to fresh air. Even if you pride yourself on keeping your house super clean and cozy, there’s probably one thing you’re overlooking: the air quality in your home. Depending on where you live and the products you use in your home, the air inside can actually be more polluted than it is outdoors. Air filters and purifiers will definitely get the job done for you, but they can be expensive and bulky. An easy way to promote clean air in your home that also happens to actually look nice is plants!
They have the ability to absorb toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, biological pollutants and pesticides. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants actually absorb carbon dioxide as well as gases and chemicals in the air. They then add a healthy dose of moisture and oxygen back into their surrounding environment. Plants are such a sustainable and simple way to bring a piece of the outdoors inside, that helps you connect to nature and breath easy.
Choosing plants can be a little overwhelming, and it’s worth noting that some plants actually have toxic properties and shouldn’t be around small children and pets. Make sure to do your research or talk to an expert at your local nursery or plant store before purchasing. But to make things a little easier for you, here’s a list of our favourites:
Areca plants
Lady palm
Rhododendron
Rubber Plant
Boston fern
Pothos
Chinese evergreen
Philodendron
Spider plant
Peace Lily
Snake plants
They’re all relatively easy to keep alive indoors, and there’s a big enough variety to suit anyones style. Start by putting some in the rooms you spend the most amount of time in, then slowly accumulate more to fill your home with little pieces of mother nature.
Julia Gibson is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, functional foods recipe developer, and write currently based in Toronto. She hopes to inspire and empower others by creating nourishing foods, living a sustainable life, promoting holistic healing and sharing thoughtful writing.
photo: shelby red