Breathe Easy with These 5 Houseplants for Better IAQ

You may be surprised to find that the air inside your home is often more polluted than outdoor air. There are a variety of toxins that can accumulate inside your home over time, such as formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethane. These make their way into your house through different chemicals that are often found in furniture, chemical cleaners, and common household materials such as grocery bags or paper towels.

You may be even more surprised to find out that you can use houseplants to help filter out these chemicals, which can lead to a variety of allergic reactions and other medical conditions. Read on to find out the best houseplants for improving your indoor air quality.

Best Plants to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Want to improve your IAQ? Try using introducing these houseplants into your home. They work to filter out toxins and leave your home air cleaner and easier to breathe.

1. Peace Lily

The Peace Lily (or Spathiphyllum) is not only a beautiful plant, but it can also help to remove airborne volatile organic compounds. This includes formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. The best part about this plant is that it’s easy to care for and does not require direct sunlight.

2. Flamingo Lily

The flamingo lily (or Anthurium andraeanum) is another beautiful plant that can also help improve your indoor air quality. This plant is effective at removing airborne ammonia, xylene, toluene, and formaldehyde in your home. This plant needs a little more care and attention than some other houseplants and works best in high-humidity environments.

3. Weeping Fig

The Weeping Fig (or Ficus benjamina) is commonly known as the Ficus tree. This popular houseplant is great at filtering out certain toxins from your home, including airborne formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene. This plant is also a great low-maintenance plant for homeowners that don’t quite have a green thumb.

4. English Ivy

Hedera helix, better known as English Ivy or European Ivy, is another great houseplant for helping to purify your indoor air. This plant effectively filters benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from your home’s indoor air. What’s more is that this plant has also been known to reduce mold growth in your home, which can impact IAQ. This plant is pretty easy to take care of with generous watering and a little direct sunlight.

5. Snake Plant

Sansevieria trifasciata is also known as the Snake Plant or Mother-in-Law’s tongue. This is an evergreen perennial plant that can help improve your indoor air quality by absorbing airborne toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, nitrogen oxide, xylene, and trichloroethylene. Though this plant can endure low amounts of light, it does best in areas with plenty of bright light and requires very little water. You may want to avoid this plant if you have pets as it can be toxic when ingested.

If you’re still concerned about your IAQ, contact the experts at Cardinal Heating & AC. We offer indoor air quality services to homeowners living in the Seattle, Kirkland, Bellevue, and Redmond areas. Our team can help ensure that your home has proper ventilation and provide ongoing air quality maintenance. Call today: (425) 296-2097.