Homemaking · Natural Living

Plants To Clean The Air In Your Home

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Is the air in your home clean?

Unfortunately, today, many products that we use (couches, mattresses, drywall, paints, carpets, laminate flooring, cabinetry, cleaning products) in our homes put off quite a bit of toxins.

Plants to Clean The Air In Your Home
Getting the toxins out can improve mood and productivity, reduce stress and fatigue, and enhance memory and concentration.

These plants help improve the quality of the air in your home, by cleaning the air, adding humidity, and increasing the oxygen in your home as well.
A lot of them are toxic if ingested, so if you have pets or small children you may want to avoid them or put them out of reach.

Even if you have a black thumb, some of these may work well for you as they are tougher plants that can deal with some neglect.

Palm Plants

Bamboo Palm, Dwarf Date Palm, Areca Palm, Lady Palm, and Parlor Palm are all good at removing toxins including formaldehyde, but Bamboo,  and Dwarf Date Palms are the best. Bamboo Palms remove benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde effectively. Dwarf Date Palms remove a lot of toxins, but are especially adept at removing xylene. The Lady Palm is great at removing ammonia.

Some of these can take up quite a bit of room, so that is something to consider, some withstand neglect better than others.

Lilies

Peace Lilies, Flamingo Lilies. Peace lilies are known to clean the air of benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene,  ammonia, alcohols, and acetone. Flamingo Lilies are known to clean  formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene and xylene.

It should be mentioned that you need to be careful with these around pets and children as they are poisonous if consumed. They are pretty low maintenance.

Ferns

Boston Fern is great at removing formaldehyde. The Kimberly Queen Fern is lesser known, but highly effective at removing formaldehyde and alcohols, and makes a great natural humidifier since it has a high transpiration rate.

The Boston Fern does not handle vigorous movement, so if you have pets or children you might want to skip it.

Weeping Fig (Ficus)

The Ficus is a good filter of formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene. It is a bigger plant though, and can be temperamental.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a great filter of benzene and formaldehyde. There are a whole list of benefits to growing your own aloe though!

Ivy

Devli’s Ivy is good at removing benzene, formaldehyde, xylene & toluene. English Ivy removes those and trichloroethylene. Oakleaf ivy is also an effective air filter.

Should be avoided if you have pets or children as they are toxic.

Rubber Plant

The rubber plant is an excellent air filter for your home. It is also a very tough plant.

It is toxic, so avoid if you have pets or children.

Golden Pothos

The Golden Pothos, also known as a Money Plant, is another remover of indoor toxins in the home. It is especially effective at removing carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, toluene and xylene from the air.

It also withstands neglect. Great for people who cannot grow anything.

Dracaena

The draceana is a great indoor air cleaner. It is rated one of the best plants for removing trichloreoethylene. The red-edged dracaena is great at removing xylene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde. The warneckei is great at removing benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. Janet Craigs are a popular variety, as is the cornstalk dracaena, and both are quite effective as air cleaners.

It should be noted that the dracaena is a poisonous plant and should be avoided near animals and children.

Mums

A great flowering plant that removes toxins from the air, including formaldehyde, benzene and ammonia.

Spider Plants

The spider plant is pretty one that is great at filtering formaldehyde, xylene and toluene.

Snake Plant

Also known as the Mother-In-Laws Tongue, it is effective at removing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene and toluene.
It is toxic, so again, if you have pets or small children you will want to avoid this one.

Wax Begonia

Great filter of benzene and chemicals produced by toluene.
They are toxic, so avoid if you have pets or children.

Tulips

Tulips are beautiful and are effective at removing formaldehyde, xylene, and ammonia from the air.

Another plant that is toxic for pets, and small children that might eat them.

Chrysanthemum

These pretty blooming plants are good at filtering our benzene.
Toxic if ingested.

Orchids

Dendrobium Orchid removes alcohols, acetone, formaldehyde, and chloroform from the air. The Moth Orchid does help clean the air, but not as effectively as Dendrobium Orchids.

Azaleas

Azaleas are great at cleaning formaldehyde from the air.
While pretty, they are toxic if ingested.

Heart Leaf Philodendron

The Heart Leaf Philodendron is a great cleaner of formaldehyde. It is also a tougher plant, making it great if you are not good with plants.

It too is toxic if ingested.

Chinese Evergreen

This plant is good at removing benzene and formaldehyde.

It is toxic if ingested.

Purple Waffle Plants

The purple waffle plant is a great air cleaner. They are especially effective at removing formaldehyde from the air.

Lilyturf

The Lilyturf is effective ate removing ammonia, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde from the air.

Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera, or Barberton as they are sometimes referred to,  Daisies are good at removing benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene.

Herbs

The herbs rosemary, lavender, jasmine and mint have been found to be excellent air cleaners as well as adding a gentle fragerance to the air.

Do you have house plants?

23 thoughts on “Plants To Clean The Air In Your Home

  1. I grow a bunch of herbs and think it is important to have living green plants in the house. They do clean the air but the outside should come inside to help us all around feel better.

  2. A great purpose for flowers and plants other than being a joy to look at/receive. Thanks for giving me some new additions for my flower shopping list 😉

  3. A great purpose for flowers and plants other than being a joy to look at/receive. Thanks for giving me some new additions for my flower shopping list 😉

  4. I have been meaning to add plants to our home for a while. We usually have cut flowers, but plants have a hard time living here as the house gets down into the 30’s in winter, and up to 100 in the summer. But, I will have to work harder at finding the right plants, as I know we need support in filtering toxins in the air. Thanks for your post.

  5. I have been meaning to add plants to our home for a while. We usually have cut flowers, but plants have a hard time living here as the house gets down into the 30’s in winter, and up to 100 in the summer. But, I will have to work harder at finding the right plants, as I know we need support in filtering toxins in the air. Thanks for your post.

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