Clean the Indoor Air with Plants

My mother always had a lot of indoor plants and she especially liked to place them in the windows. She also had plants such as Spider Plants displayed in various places around the  house. Everyone had plants in their homes when I grew up and the windows were the most common place to put them. Most Swedes still have plenty of plants in their houses today. I was told when I was a child that plants added oxygen to the air, but I never thought much about the other benefits of having indoor plants when I grew up. Like everyone else, I decorated with several plants in my own apartment but at that time I focused more on making my  area  look pretty. 

Plants are amazing air filters

Plants are amazing and they can be used  as air filters in addition to providing essential oxygen. They are capable of digesting chemical pollutants that may cause various health problems. Scientists have studied several plant species to investigate the connection between certain species and the toxins they are capable of digesting. It was discovered that English Ivy is effective in consuming benzene while Boston Fern digests formaldehyde.  In the 80's NASA conducted a few experiences that involved putting plants in a highly polluted environment that contained several chemical toxins. The level of toxins were greatly reduced after 24 hours and many of the toxins had been digested by the plants.

Best plants

Some plants are more effective than others in filtering the air pollution. These plants make good house plants:

Arrowhead Vine

Areca Palm

Boston Fern

Dwarf Date Palm

Chrysanthemums

English Ivy

Spider Plant

Striped Dracaena

Golden Pothos

Other plants

Kitchen herbs and lettuce can also grow indoors in addition to air purifying plants.  I received a great tip a few years ago to plant lettuce seeds in pots at different times and place them in the kitchen window. This would make sure that I always would be able to enjoy fresh greens during the winter since they would be ready to eat at different times. 

Improvements

I admit that I haven't been very good at keeping indoor plants since I left Sweden, and this is an area that I need to improve in. I don't have good window sill to place the plants, but it is not an excuse since many plants don't like direct sun light anyway. I just have to be creative and find other locations for them instead. We do plant seeds for the garden inside but as soon as the weather permits they go outside. 

Do you keep any indoor plants?

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils  She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.  
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This post is linked to:
Small Footprint Friday

Photo credit: Allt i Hemmet