It’s that time of year again – more time spent indoors with the windows generally closed. Not always the cheeriest of propositions, but it’s all part of the seasons changing.
Still, once the first signs of spring emerge, we tend to practically sprint our way to the backyard or front walk just to take in the warmth and let it embrace us.
Well, why wait for spring when you can bring some of nature indoors now with the right assortment of houseplants and, at the same time, enjoy cleaner indoor air. For that, we all owe a debt of gratitude to NASA whose Clean Air Study conducted in the late 1980’s concluded that certain houseplants remove as much as 87% of indoor air pollutants within just 24 hours.
In addition to replacing carbon dioxide with clean oxygen, certain houseplants also can rid your home of such toxins as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
NASA’s research coincided with the discovery of “Sick building syndrome,” a term used to describe the symptoms of those suffering the ill effects of indoor air pollution. Sick building syndrome itself was a direct result of new home and commercial building construction practices that created more tightly sealed spaces as a direct response to the energy crisis of the 1970’s.
In addition to outgassed chemicals from new building construction or remodeling, certain household cleaning products also contribute to indoor pollution by releasing
carcinogenic xylene, toluene, and ammonia into the air, especially from aerosols and sprays.
Which Houseplants Work Best?
According to Greatist.com, the following are the 9 best houseplant varieties for helping clean up your indoor air:
- Garden Mum
- Spider Plant
- Dracaena
- Ficus/Weeping Fig
- Peace Lily
- Boston Fern
- Snake Plant
- Bamboo Palm
- Aloe Vera
Another great thing about each of these is that they’re nearly impossible to kill, although we don’t recommend you make that part of your mission, just in case.
Here’s another way to clean up your indoor air: with a whole-house air filtration system from Eagle Service Company. The system is installed inside your ductwork and works in combination with your forced air heating and AC systems to filter out air pollutants before they can reach your living spaces. For more information or a free in-home comfort analysis and new system quote, contact Eagle today.
