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You have a bunch of guests over for the evening, upon entering your home, several of them comment about a strong smell. Taking a giant whiff, you realize it’s all the cleaners that you used in preparation for their arrival. You may have gone a little overboard.
If you had more house plants, they would absorb the strong chemicals in your home’s air and use it for something more beneficial. They also add a certain brightness to your home. Some of them even act as natural air fresheners so you don’t have to go heavy on the spray.
If you’re interested in bringing in a few of nature’s little helpers, here are a few of the best indoor house plants that you can get.
In This Post:
1. Peace Lily
Like the name suggests, peace lilies will add a sense of calm over your home with their white buds. The dark oval leaves act as a beautiful contrast to the white and they droop when the plant needs water. This makes it easy to take care of.
They filter out some of the VOC’s that spawn off from cleaning products that you use and acts as a natural humidifier for your home. If you want to keep them, you’ll need to place them in a cool room that doesn’t let much light in.
2. English Ivy
The English Ivy is another plant that thrives with very little sunlight so put them in a room that doesn’t have many windows. They also enjoy small spaces so the room should also be fairly tiny.
This plant absorbs the harmful chemical, formaldehyde which is found in fabric dyes and wood resins. So if you just redid your wood floors or brought in wood furniture and there is a certain smell in the air that you can’t get rid of, pick up an English Ivy.
3. Rubber Plant
The rubber plant obviously isn’t actually made of rubber. It gets the name from its thick dark green leaves. You should only invest in this plant if you have a bunch of room because if you take care of it correctly, it will easily surpass the height of your ceiling.
It’s a very powerful ally in removing toxins from the air in your home. Like the English Ivy, it’s main purpose is to absorb formaldehyde. It also acts as a great air purifier.
4. Lady Palm
The lady palm leaves sort of fan out, creating a fun tropical feel to any room that it’s in. If you feel like it’s taking forever and a day to grow, this is normal. It takes a while for this plant to shoot up.
When it does grow though, it’s perfect for absorbing the harsh smell of ammonia which is found in different cleaners and dyes.
5. Boston Fern
Boston ferns add a graceful touch to any home. They do require a little bit of maintenance to do this though.
For the best results, they need moist soil so you’ll have to mist it once a week. They also need to be in areas that are fairly humid and they love bright light.
This plant breaks down formaldehyde and xylene and converts them into something more useful and breathable.
6. Snake Plant
This nocturnal plant gets its name from its sharp leaves that point directly upward. They wind together much like a pot full of snakes would. The best use for snake plants is to remove carbon dioxide in the air and convert it into oxygen.
To this end, you should keep a few in your bedroom because due to their nocturnal nature they can improve the air quality while you sleep and help you rest easier.
7. Spider Plant
The spider plant works best as a hanging plant due to the fact that the leaves spawn tinier ones that you can replant to make more. These are great for someone on the go who often forgets to water their plants because they won’t need the water often. You will have to repot the “baby” plants though to get the best results.
They are great for your living room or any room where you relax because they are good for reducing stress and it fights common pollutants.
8. Golden Pothos
The golden pothos gets its name from the pleasant golden streaks in its dark green leaves. Due to its eye-catching nature, it’s best in kitchens and other rooms where you’re going to have a healthy rotation of guests.
It handles formaldehyde like most other vine type plants and it also fights carbon monoxide. So, if you don’t decide to place it in your home, the garage is another great place because it can stop harmful exhaust from your car getting into your house.
9. Orchids
Orchids come in a wide variety of beautiful colors and refreshing scents. It’s due to the fact that it mimics many other scents in nature that it makes a great natural air freshener.
You’ll be able to toss out your can stuff and glade plugins and just rely on the orchids from this helpful site.
10. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a healing plant. As you’re probably aware the cooling gel contained within its leaves is a miracle for sunburns and other ouchies. Not only is it helpful, but it also makes a beautiful addition to windows.
If you’re wondering how it helps clean the air when it’s exposed to harmful chemicals the leaves turn brown. So while it doesn’t clean the air per se, it tells you when something is horribly wrong.
House Plants that Can Improve Your Quality of Living
House plants are not only beautiful, but they also help improve the air that you breathe by filtering out the harmful chemicals found in cleaning products and other sources. Use this helpful guide to find the perfect plants to place in your home.
It’s crazy how adding in a few plants can completely revamp your house. Keep reading for a few other helpful additions that are serious game changers.
