Besides the obvious reason for keeping air purifying plants, which is to improve air quality by reducing carbon dioxide levels and other toxins from the air, Air purifying plants have many other benefits as well
One good reason is they look attractive. A couple of healthy looking plants situated in the home always seem to brighten up the room and add bit of life.
They also reduce stress and create a feeling of wellbeing. I guess its like bringing a bit of the great outdoors into your home. Connecting with nature, which is always a positive.
The fact that our homes are now designed to be air tight, to increase our energy efficiency with heating and cooling doesn't help either. This decreases air circulation, and is all the more reason to introduce air purifying plants into our homes. Plants work very well with us indoors. When we breath, we inhale oxygen, and exhale carbon dioxide, where plants absorb carbon dioxide and release clean oxygen for us to breath.
Past research conducted by NASA, to find out the benefits of air purifying plants that could be used in the confined areas of there space shuttles, revealed that the plants were capable of removing toxins such as Formaldehyde, Xylene, Benzene, Trichloroethylene, Toluene, Carbon Monoxide and others.
These toxins are released from carpets, glues, ovens, cleaning solutions, synthetic materials (such a plastic, fibre and rubber), new furniture and flooring, which all produce off gassing.
According to researchers, the air in the home is considerably more polluted than the outside air, and considering the amount of time we spend inside, that's all the more reason to improve our indoor air quality.
Some of the most efficient air purifying plants are;
Spider Plant, Dracaenas, Golden Pothos, Peace Lily, Areca Palm, Snake Plant/Mother in laws tongue, Bamboo, English Ivy, Rubber Plant and Boston Fern.
All of these plants remove different toxins from the air, so it is worth while doing your own research if you are interested in removing certain toxins from your home. Also, some of these plants can be poisonous to pets and children if ingested, so again research and caution should be taken into consideration when purchasing plants, as well as placement of the plants in your home.
We have slowly been introducing more and more plants into our home. They are not too hard to find. Most local nurseries will stock them, and they are relatively easy to take care of. You will be surprised how addictive they are, once you start introducing them into your home.
Happy Planting...