Nowadays, there are several options for mechanical air purifiers on the market. From Dyson’s to Alens and everything in between, the options are virtually endless. However, these investments should not be taken lightly. Rather, they are ones of great magnitude—with some quality air purifiers costing upwards of hundreds of dollars. With that being said, wouldn’t an all natural and cost-effective air purifying solution be nice? Well, what about plants? Plants serve as nature’s air purifying source. By keeping an ample amount of greenery in your household, you can reap the many benefits of such air purifying plants. Let’s see exactly what they are!
Investing In Indoor Plants
Aside from the beautiful and warming aesthetic that they provide, keeping plants inside your household offers many unique benefits to your overall health. More specifically, such benefits include:
Control of humidity within the optimal levels of human health
Absorption of carbon dioxide and emission of oxygen
Reduction of stress levels
Increased feelings of positivity and reduction of anxiety, anger, and sadness
Faster recovery from mental fatigue
Reduction of absenteeism from spaces
Therefore, keeping plants indoors seems like a no brainer. But, what if I told you that the benefits they provide to the air quality within your home are even greater? It may sound crazy, but when budgeting your expenses, setting aside money for a pricey air purifier from a name brand may be the one thing you can leave out. Rather, consider utilizing the unique qualities of plants as your own natural air purifier.
Research has shown that plants contain the ability to remove harmful contaminants from the air. Within our homes, air conditioning and insulation reduce air exchange within rooms, leaving us to breath the same air over and over again. This air eventually becomes polluted and contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds are a major cause of headaches, nausea, sore and itchy eyes, loss of concentration, and other symptoms of common illnesses. By simply adding plants into your indoor space, the presence of these pollutants can be significantly reduced.
The Plants You Need
When talking about the air purifying benefits of plants, the overwhelming variety of this species may leave you unsure of where to start. No need to worry, we have gathered a guide of the best plants to cover all of your air purifying needs.
1. Snake Plant.
This is a tropical plant with thin, upright leaves. Its irregular banding resembles that of a snake, giving this plant its name. Snake Plants have proven great for filtering benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene from the atmosphere.
2. Pothos.
This is the typical cubicle plant you may find at an office, with beautiful vines reaching lengths of more than 10 feet. Of course, you don’t need to grow your plant to such an extent in order to reap its filtering benefits. Similar to the Snake Plant, Pothos are great for removing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene from the air around you.
3. Rubber Plant.
These plants are great for homes—with thick, upright stems and glossy leaves made large enough to store a sufficient supply of water. Research has proven Rubber Plants to be great at filtering out formaldehyde.
4. Bird’s Nest Fern.
This plant can easily be characterized by its ripple-edged fronds that grow out of a nest-like crown. Aside from being a beautiful house plant, Bird’s Nest Ferns remove a sufficient amount of formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air around you.
5. Philodendron.
With the reputation of being one of the easiest houseplants to grow, keeping this eye-catching plant in your home is a no brainer. Aside from warming up the room, Philodendron plants have been shown to successfully filter out formaldehyde.
When considering which plants to keep within your indoor space, look to these five for any of your air purifying needs.
The Many Benefits of Air Purifying Plants
In taking everything into account, it is clear that plants serve as a viable, inexpensive, and decorative option for covering any air purification problems that may be thrown your way. Although the security of technology may be comforting, research has proven that it is no longer necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive air purifying machines, when nature can do the same job at no cost. Take advantage of these powerful plants while you can!