For a long time, air pollution was something confined to the outdoors. But your home’s indoor air quality can be far worse than the outside. With our homes practically air-tight, especially during the warm, humid summers here in the Peachtree City area, pollutants can get trapped indoors.

There are several methods of combating unseen irritants, including maintaining a healthy humidity level inside your home by using a dehumidifier and opening windows to allow fresh air to circulate and by using an exhaust fan or cracking a window near your stove when cooking.

Natural air purifiers are always best, however, and filling your home with houseplants is a sure-fire way to improve your indoor air quality. Here are five of the best – and most beautiful – ways to do just that:

• Aloe (Aloe vera): This easily grown succulent will help clear the air of benzene (a byproduct of chemical-based cleaners, and paints). Aloe does best in a sunny kitchen window. The soothing gel inside the leaves helps heal cuts and burns.
• Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum): One of the hardiest house plants, it’s commonly hung near or in front of windows. It reduces carbon monoxide and zyene (a leather and rubber cleaning solvent). The spider plant produces “babies,” which grow into new plants.
• Golden pothos (Scindapsus aures): This fast-growing vine neutralizes formaldehyde found in car exhaust. The cascading leaves make it a good plant for hanging in or near your garage. It does well in very low light.
• Chrysanthemum (Chrysantheium morifolium): The bright flowers on this plant help filter out the benzene commonly found in detergents, plastics, paint and glue. It does best in direct sunlight.
• Gerber daisy (Gerbera jamesonii): Another flowering plant, this daisy comes in a variety of bright colors. It helps remove trichloroethylene (used in dry cleaning) and benzene. This plant also does best in a bright window.

For more expert advice about your home’s indoor air quality and other issues related to home comfort, please contact Powers Heating & Air. We have been serving the residential areas of Peachtree City and Fayette and Coweta counties since 2001.

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).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “ufuk sezgen/Shutterstock”