Do you know what the One House Plant You Need To Reduce Indoor Toxins is? Thankfully, NASA researched which houseplants purified our homes the best. Their Clean Air study found indoor plants are effective at removing benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, xylene, and ammonia from the air. No need for pricey air filters. Just buy a plant.
The NASA study also revealed 18 different plants that clean the air and actively remove air pollution from the home or workplace. I find that fact absolutely amazing, especially being a “homebody”!
Any guesses which house plant reduces the most indoor toxins?
Actually, there was a tie. In First Place, the Peace Lily and Chrysanthemum. These two gems cleaned the air from all the tested pollutants! Both are lovely plants and are easy to care for.
Indoor Air Toxins
Benzene is an active ingredient in plastic. Benzene is also in resins, synthetic fibers, dyes, detergents, pesticides, tobacco smoke and glue paint, and furniture wax.
Formaldehyde is found in paper products like tissues, toilet paper, and paper napkins. It is also in building materials like particleboard.
Trichloroethylene is found in printing ink, paints, lacquers, varnishes, and adhesives.
Xylene is found in leather, rubber, and tobacco smoke.
Ammonia is found in window cleaners, floor waxes, smelling salts, and chemical fertilizers.
More Indoor Air Pollutants
Mold and pollen
Tobacco smoke
Household products and pesticides
Gases such as radon and carbon monoxide
Building materials such as asbestos, formaldehyde, and lead
This list alone is anxiety-producing, I am so thankful that there are plants you can have in your home to reduce indoor toxins!
9 Ways To Reduce Household Toxins
- Open your windows for 15 minutes a day no matter what the weather.
- Change the air filter on your furnace once a month.
- Don’t allow smoking indoors.
- Use natural household cleaners
- Take your shoes off when you arrive home so you don’t bring pesticides and bacteria into your home.
- Run a diffuser with essential oils and don’t use air fresheners. One purifies and the other adds to your home’s toxic load. (My favorite purifying essential oils are Melaleuca, Citrus of any kind, OnGuard, Purify, and Cinnamon Bark.)
- Wear only natural fibers like cotton, wool, linen, hemp, and silk.
- Vacuum regularly to remove allergens from your home, like pet dander and dust mites.
- Add a Spider Plant to your kitchen or bathroom. It is a workhorse that takes out 90% of the toxins in your home! You may, want to think about adding one to every room in your house?
YOUR TURN…
Comment below, how do you remove toxins from your home?
Blessings,
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The peace lily is so easy to grow too! I don’t have the greatest green thumb but I have kept mine alive for years! Great article with wonderful suggestions.
Thank you for your encouraging words, Betsy! It’s good to know that the peace lily is easy to grow!
The Peace Lily is an inside plant for anyone who wants to have a living plant in the house, you can have them for years, you do have to nurture with water & a caring for plants, I finally gave mine away because I found someone who wanted this plant & mine was healthy, in moving I parted with the yrs old plant, it served me well.
Great testimony for the faithful Peace Lily Mary! Thanks for stopping by and for your comment!
Thank you for any other great article!
You are welcome Christina, so thankful you are here at The Peaceful Haven!