5 houseplants that will clean your air.
Written By: Micah Wilkins
Houseplants are significant helpers in cleaning the air in your home, but they are often overlooked. They are effective in counteracting “out-gassing” and contributing to balanced internal humidity, according to an article on green living at www.care2.com />
According to a study done by the University of Minnesota, “off-gas” or “out-gas” are pollutants in relatively new buildings, caused by the man-made and synthetic building materials, fabrics, wallpaper and other materials, which pollute the interior environment of a home or building.
According to care2.com, one plant should be allowed about 10 square yards of floor space, which means that you need about two or three plants to contribute to good air quality in a large room.
While newly constructed buildings and homes are now better insulated and sealed to conserve heat or air-conditioning, in addition to saving energy, they also have their downsides, in that pollutants may be trapped indoors.
For two years, NASA studied 19 different plants, to see if some may reduce indoor, trapped pollutants.
The NASA studies came up with the recommendation that 15 to 18 medium-sized plants should be placed throughout a 1,800 square foot house. The healthier the plants, and the more vigorously they grow, the better job they’ll do in cleaning and purifying the air.
1. The Areca Palm— this beautiful palm tree, originally from Madagascar, is a low-maintenance, fast-growing exotic house plant. The Areca is usually considered the best houseplant for removing all indoor air toxins.
2. The Reed Palm (bamboo)— this tropical palm can be potted and placed indoors, to add some color to the home while reducing “out-gasses” and detoxifying the air. This plant is also extremely easy to grow, and it lasts for years, with minimal care and maintenance.
3. English Ivy— these plants usually work as ground-covers, or climbers, but they can also grow in hanging baskets indoors, with the ivy cascading over the sides.
4. Boston Fern— this plant is one of the most popular ferns, with its frilly leaves and long-hanging fronds. The Boston Fern is a common, and admired, houseplant, and it can easily flourish in the home.
5. Peace Lily— the peace lily is considered one of the best indoor houseplants. They clean indoor air and remove many environmental contaminants. This plant is low-maintenance, and lives best in shady areas, as it needs little sunlight to grow and thrive.
Other helpful indoor plants that remove toxins from the air include the Dwarf date palm, Janet Craig dracaena, Australian sword fern, the Rubber plant, spider plants, Aloe Vera and the Weeping fig.
Houseplants are significant helpers in cleaning the air in your home, but they are often overlooked. They are effective in counteracting “out-gassing” and contributing to balanced internal humidity, according to an article on green living at www.care2.com
According to a study done by the University of Minnesota, “off-gas” or “out-gas” are pollutants in relatively new buildings, caused by the man-made and synthetic building materials, fabrics, wallpaper and other materials, which pollute the interior environment of a home or building.
According to care2.com, one plant should be allowed about 10 square yards of floor space, which means that you need about two or three plants to contribute to good air quality in a large room.
While newly constructed buildings and homes are now better insulated and sealed to conserve heat or air-conditioning, in addition to saving energy, they also have their downsides, in that pollutants may be trapped indoors.
For two years, NASA studied 19 different plants, to see if some may reduce indoor, trapped pollutants.
The NASA studies came up with the recommendation that 15 to 18 medium-sized plants should be placed throughout a 1,800 square foot house. The healthier the plants, and the more vigorously they grow, the better job they’ll do in cleaning and purifying the air.
The following houseplants, listed by care2.com, the study from U of M, and plant-care.com, are considered the most effective at counteracting out-gassed chemicals, and therefore making your home’s air clean and pure.
1. The Areca Palm— this beautiful palm tree, originally from Madagascar, is a low-maintenance, fast-growing exotic house plant. The Areca is usually considered the best houseplant for removing all indoor air toxins.
2. The Reed Palm (bamboo)— this tropical palm can be potted and placed indoors, to add some color to the home while reducing “out-gasses” and detoxifying the air. This plant is also extremely easy to grow, and it lasts for years, with minimal care and maintenance.
3. English Ivy— these plants usually work as ground-covers, or climbers, but they can also grow in hanging baskets indoors, with the ivy cascading over the sides.
4. Boston Fern— this plant is one of the most popular ferns, with its frilly leaves and long-hanging fronds. The Boston Fern is a common, and admired, houseplant, and it can easily flourish in the home.
5. Peace Lily— the peace lily is considered one of the best indoor houseplants. They clean indoor air and remove many environmental contaminants. This plant is low-maintenance, and lives best in shady areas, as it needs little sunlight to grow and thrive.
Other helpful indoor plants that remove toxins from the air include the Dwarf date palm, Janet Craig dracaena, Australian sword fern, the Rubber plant, spider plants, Aloe Vera and the Weeping fig.
Posted by Urban Growth KC at 5/30/2010 10:32 PM 
Categories: For The Home
Tags: air purifier clean air green air
Categories: For The Home
Tags: air purifier clean air green air
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