How to Remove Harmful Chemicals From Your Home Using Houseplants
Determine how many houseplants you need for cleaner air., Reduce the emission of harmful compounds as much as possible., Improve your home's ventilation if possible., Choose plants that are effective at filtering air.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine how many houseplants you need for cleaner air.
Most of the research done on the air filtering effects of houseplants has been conducted as part of NASA's Clean Air Study program.
NASA's recommendation is growing 1 houseplant for every 100 square feet (9 square meters) of your home's floor area.
Ideally, these plants should be spread around your home as much as possible. -
Step 2: Reduce the emission of harmful compounds as much as possible.
Before trying to combat harmful chemicals using houseplants, it helps to minimize the emission of these compounds.
Tobacco smoke, synthetic fibers, and products like paints, varnishes, and solvents are all major contributors to harmful compounds like benzene and formaldehyde.
Smoking tobacco outdoors rather than inside your home can have a dramatic effect on decreasing the concentration of harmful chemicals inside your home.
Keep all paints, stains, varnishes, and solvents in a garage or covered outdoor enclosure if possible. , Another major step you can take in controlling the concentration of harmful chemicals is by ventilating your home as well as possible.
Open windows during comfortable weather and consider running ceiling fans at low speeds to keep air circulating. , Of course, only some houseplant species effectively remove the harmful compounds produced in your home.
Some species effectively remove only 1 type of compound, while a few types of plants can filter nearly all harmful compounds from your indoor air.
Benzene is a compound produced from paints, solvents, detergents, and some plastics.
Good plants for filtering benzene include English ivy, Chinese evergreen, and snake plants.
Formaldehyde is a harmful chemical emitted from many building materials, including foam insulation and engineered wood products like plywood.
Good houseplants for filtering formaldehyde include azalea, philodendron, pothos, and chrysanthemum.
Trichloroethylene is another harmful compound emitted from paints, varnishes, and solvents.
It can be filtered effectively by Gerbera daisy, chrysanthemum, and Dracaena marginata.
Some plants filter the whole range of harmful chemicals, including ammonia and xylene as well as the above-mentioned compounds.
These species include peace lily, florist's chrysanthemum, and snake plants. -
Step 3: Improve your home's ventilation if possible.
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Step 4: Choose plants that are effective at filtering air.
Detailed Guide
Most of the research done on the air filtering effects of houseplants has been conducted as part of NASA's Clean Air Study program.
NASA's recommendation is growing 1 houseplant for every 100 square feet (9 square meters) of your home's floor area.
Ideally, these plants should be spread around your home as much as possible.
Before trying to combat harmful chemicals using houseplants, it helps to minimize the emission of these compounds.
Tobacco smoke, synthetic fibers, and products like paints, varnishes, and solvents are all major contributors to harmful compounds like benzene and formaldehyde.
Smoking tobacco outdoors rather than inside your home can have a dramatic effect on decreasing the concentration of harmful chemicals inside your home.
Keep all paints, stains, varnishes, and solvents in a garage or covered outdoor enclosure if possible. , Another major step you can take in controlling the concentration of harmful chemicals is by ventilating your home as well as possible.
Open windows during comfortable weather and consider running ceiling fans at low speeds to keep air circulating. , Of course, only some houseplant species effectively remove the harmful compounds produced in your home.
Some species effectively remove only 1 type of compound, while a few types of plants can filter nearly all harmful compounds from your indoor air.
Benzene is a compound produced from paints, solvents, detergents, and some plastics.
Good plants for filtering benzene include English ivy, Chinese evergreen, and snake plants.
Formaldehyde is a harmful chemical emitted from many building materials, including foam insulation and engineered wood products like plywood.
Good houseplants for filtering formaldehyde include azalea, philodendron, pothos, and chrysanthemum.
Trichloroethylene is another harmful compound emitted from paints, varnishes, and solvents.
It can be filtered effectively by Gerbera daisy, chrysanthemum, and Dracaena marginata.
Some plants filter the whole range of harmful chemicals, including ammonia and xylene as well as the above-mentioned compounds.
These species include peace lily, florist's chrysanthemum, and snake plants.
About the Author
Donald Jackson
Experienced content creator specializing in creative arts guides and tutorials.
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