Greenery is pleasing to the eye and there’s something relaxing about sipping a cuppa surrounded by palms swooshing in the wind. While we all know how beneficial outdoor plants are to our health in general, did you know surrounding yourself with plants indoors also has some great health benefits?
Research shows that Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world – more people spend 90 percent of their time indoors at home and in offices than anywhere else.
Indoor air is more polluted than the air outside, most everyday things we take for granted emits some form of toxic material and this can eventually lead to health complications like loss of concentration, drowsiness and headaches.
Fortunately there’s a green way of ensuring that the air inside your home is cleaner rather than buying an expensive air purifier. Opening up doors and windows and cross ventilating the house helps but it’s keeping certain air-cleaning plants inside different parts of the house that’ll make a real difference. A study from UTS shows that indoor plants can improve every aspect of air quality inside a room.
Here are 6 plants suggested by experts at NASA that do a stellar job in removing toxins:
Snake plant or Sansevieria trifasciata
Also called the mother-in-law’s tongue, the snake plant is an inexpensive way to bring clean air into your bedroom at night. This low maintenance plant converts carbon dioxide into oxygen while you sleep. The snake plant also eliminates volatile compounds like formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene, and benzene from the air which are all toxic to humans.
Areca palm
The Areca palm is a tree or shrub plant with long, feather-like fronds. It survives extremely well indoors and releases moisture into your environment – 1 litre of water over 24 hours. Plus it’s also considered to be an extremely efficient remover of nasty toxins.
Aloe vera
We all love aloe vera products, often reaching for the soothing gel in case of a rash or sunburn. The aloe plant itself is beneficial to have in the home. This versatile and hardy plant helps to remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air and requires little maintenance – perfect for those without green thumbs.
English ivy
Also called Hedera helix, english ivy is known to remove fecal-based articles from the air and filter formaldehyde found in common household products. It can also remove mold spores in the air according to an American study. However it is a climber, so control its growth if planted in a pot. Its leaves and berries can also be poisonous to pets and children so make sure you keep it well out of reach.
Peace lilies
Also called Spathiphyllum Mauna Loa, it’s suitable for damp areas of the home like the bathroom where mold spores exist. It traps the spores in its leaves and uses it as food. It has beautiful white flowers and absorbs harmful vapours from alcohol and acetone.
Spider plant
This easy to grow and maintain plant can remove 90 percent of toxins from your home in two days! The leaves grow quite fast and absorb mold and allergens. So if you or a household member is prone to dust allergies, this plant can be the answer to your woes. It also eliminates small amounts of formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from the air.
We hope this post has given you ideas about what plants to choose for healthy air indoors. For more information check out our gardening service for bigger homes and gardens.
