Here’s How to Improve Your Home’s Air Quality with Plants

Electronic air purifiers can improve the air quality of your home, but houseplants can also play a valuable role in the quest for a healthier indoor atmosphere. Beyond their benefit as home décor, plants work to naturally neutralize harmful gases and airborne toxins, while adding humidity and attractive scents to enclosed areas. Here’s some air-purifying plants that will make excellent additions to your air-cleaning arsenal.

How Plants Clean the Air

At the same time plants are feeding themselves, they also purify the air by drawing out carbon dioxide and releasing it as oxygen, a process called photosynthesis. Plant leaves are also known to capture what are called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), chemical off-gasses from home furnishings including carpeting, upholstery, candles, and cooking appliances. Research indicates certain particular plant species are more effective at this than others, and the best results are achieved in smaller rooms and spaces. In other words, to reap the most benefit, it’s important to select the right plants, and place them where they can have the biggest benefit.

Indoor air quality is an everyday concern, and the best defense is to prevent airborne pollutants from entering your home in the first place. However, indoor plants can play a valuable role in the fight against invisible toxins and allergens. A little water and occasional fertilizer is all many of the best air-purifying plants need to flourish.