Plants for cleaning indoor air

Indoor plants not only help refresh your space they also make people feel better. For example, hospital patients with plants in their rooms were more positive and had lower blood pressure and stress levels. Also, indoor plants may make people stay alert and reducing mental fatigue. Use more houseplants to brighten up any house or office that is low maintenance and anyone can keep alive and thriving while adding a touch of class and beauty to indoor spaces.

Houseplants are great indoor air cleaners but there are certain plants that are better than others at filtering out pollutants and toxic chemicals in the air. So, how do houseplants clean the air? Plants absorb some of the particulates from the air at the same time that they take in carbon dioxide, which is then processed into oxygen through photosynthesis. But that’s not all—microorganisms associated with the plants are present in the potting soil, and these microbes are also responsible for much of the cleaning effect.

Here are some of the common houseplants that let you breathe easy by creating healthy and thriving indoor environments:

Chrysanthemum:

This plant is an air-purifying champion, removing ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene from indoor air. Popular and inexpensive at garden stores, they can be planted outside after they're finished blooming.

Spider plant:

Spider plants are among the easiest houseplants to grow, making them a great choice for beginners or forgetful owners. Fan of bright, indirect sunlight, spider plant will send out shoots with flowers that eventually grow into baby spider plants or spiderettes.

Pollutants removed: formaldehyde and xylene.

Dracaena:

There are more than 40 different kinds of Dracaena plants, making it easy to find one that’s a perfect fit for your home or office. They're common foliage plants with long, wide leaves that are often variegated with lines of white, cream, or red color.

It needs plenty of light, heat and lots of humidity and solid wet soil. It is advisable to often sprinkle its leaves and fertilize every 15 days. Pollutants removed: benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene.

Aloe:

The plant's leaves contain a clear liquid full of vitamins, enzymes and amino acids that have wound-healing, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, and there is some evidence that aloe may help skin conditions like psoriasis . What you may not have known is that it also cleans the air by removing formaldehyde from inside your home.

Fern:

This plant prefers to clean the air from a cool location with high humidity and indirect light. It is relatively easy to grow, but doesn’t need to stay moist.

Check the fern’s soil daily to see if it needs water, and give it a good soak once per month.

Fertilize once a month with a light liquid fertilizer. In winter the plant needs protection from frost, place it in a cool and bright place. If during winter you lose its foliage do not worry in spring will come back.

Pollutants removed: formaldehyde and xylene.

Peace Lily:

Peace lily plants are relatively small compared to many of the plants on this list, but they still pack some major air-cleaning abilities. Easy to grow, these plants will flower for much of the summer. Just be aware that those flowers do contribute some pollen and floral scents to the air, so you may want to avoid having a room full of them. Put peace lilies in a shady spot and keep the soil moist without overwatering.

Pollutants removed: ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene

Snake plant

This is one of the hardest houseplants. Although it does need to be watered occasionally, it generally prefers drier conditions and some sun.

Pollutants removed: benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene

Bonsai:

A superstar of filtering formaldehyde, these palms thrive in full sun or bright light. Part of the reason they can filter so much air is that they can grow to be pretty big—as tall as four to 12 feet high, making them exciting, pet-friendly indoor additions.

Pollutants removed: benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene

Ficus:

Grow this low-maintenance houseplant in bright, indirect light and allow the soil to dry out between watering. Although this plant has some serious air-cleaning abilities, it can also be taken outside in late spring and brought back indoors when temperatures are warm and well above freezing.

It needs stable room temperature and moderate watering in the spring and summer and less water in the autumn and winter. Fertilize every two weeks in spring and summer.

Pollutants removed: benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene

Areka:

It belongs to plants that have the excellent ability to remove dirt and dangerous gases from the atmosphere of the space they host. They are easy to care and have a long life. It is kept at a temperature between 18-24 degrees Celsius. Care should be taken to keep the root of the plant moist and regularly fertilize. To give you a sense of freshness, do not forget to spray your leaves often with water.

Phoenix:

It takes care of your atmosphere, but you should also take care of it properly. It needs plenty of water in the spring and summer and once month fertilization. The ideal temperature for this plant is 16-21 degrees Celsius, while in winter it should not be exposed to temperatures below 10 degrees. It likes the sun but prefers the semi-sunny places. If you see the foliage dry and become brown, it means that it suffers from drought.

Spathiphyllum:

A low maintenance, hardy plant which prefers shade, temperatures and moisture but not very damp soil.  Pour full fertilizer in spring and autumn

Pollutants removed: ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.

Caution: If you've got kids or pets, note before you buy: Some may be toxic.

Indoor plants bring life, color and add character to any home. They are easy to care for and can be placed either on a window sill, living room even in a slightly darker spot of the room.

Each kind of plant has its own favorite environmental conditions, so look for a tag that comes with the plant or online to find out how much sunlight and water it will need.

Order online at www.anthemionflowers.com the perfect indoor plant to send to your loved ones or for your own place.