Indoor air quality is a consistent issue in both business and residential settings. Fumes, odors, and gases, many of them potentially harmful, can be produced by common indoor sources. While mechanical air filters and purifiers work well at keeping indoor air quality high, you can also turn to a decorative and natural method for removing indoor pollutants: houseplants.

Houseplants produce oxygen and consume carbon dioxide as part of their lifecycle. A good selection of indoor plants can give your home or office air a boost by introducing more oxygen and removing more carbon dioxide. However, houseplants can do much more to make your indoor air fresher and cleaner.

Indoor environments often contain substantial amounts of pollutants. Construction materials, such as carpets, lumber, or manufactured building materials, can give off fumes and gases such as formaldehyde. Appliances, heating systems, and other fuel-burning devices can produce carbon monoxide, an extremely harmful gas. Cleaners, paints, varnishes, solvents, pesticides, and other household chemicals can release strong, often unpleasant odors. Houseplants can help remove these fumes, dangerous gases, and other chemical substances from your indoor air.

Some of the more common houseplants that provide air filtration and pollutant removal are:

• Aloe (aloe vera) — This small, hardy plant is easy to grow and care for. They are commonly kept on window sills where they get a lot of sunshine, or on shelves or desks. Aloe plants can remove formaldehyde and benzene from your indoor air.
• Spider plants — These plants are also very hardy and can survive in an environment where they don’t receive consistent care. They have long, grassy leaves and white flowers, and can filter your air to remove formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, and carbon monoxide.
• Boston ferns — Boston ferns require regular watering and care, but they are considered among the most effective air-filtering plants. They are good at removing formaldehyde from the air.

Heating and cooling customers in and around Peachtree City can count on Powers Heating and Air for professional HVAC services, including installation, maintenance, and repair. Contact us today for more information on using houseplants for air cleaning and purification in your home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 770-487-2040.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “imnoom/Shutterstock”