Detox Your Home: 5 Plants to Improve Indoor Air Quality

by the editorial team

With the average American spending about 90% of their time indoors, it's important that our homes are healthy environments. The idea of indoor air pollution might be something you didn't even know existed, but it's as real as the pollution outside your front door. Don't worry, there's an easy way to tackle those toxins and detox your home.

Studies show that plant-filled rooms contain up to 60 percent fewer airborne molds and bacteria than rooms without plants, so if you already have a bit of greenery in your house, you're already on your way to a healthy home.

Decorating your home with household plants not only brightens up a room, they offer the following benefits:

• Remove the toxins that cause indoor air pollution
• Detox your home
• Help you breathe easier
• Improve your health
• Release water
• Purify the air
• Sharpen your focus

We've rounded up 5 houseplants that can help to detox your home and keep you healthy. 

1. Spider Plant

Called Chlorophytum Comosum in Latin, the Spider Plant rapidly clears the air of carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. It's a thirsty plant with soil drying out quickly between watering so we recommend to water thoroughly each time. Spider Plants grow well in medium to bright light so it’s best to put in well-lit living spaces.

2. Peace Lily

Called Spathiphyllum in Latin, the Peace Lily may be small, but it has a strong ability in removing mold from the air. This makes it the perfect plant for bathrooms and other damp areas of your home such as laundry rooms. Peace Lily's bloom in medium light and soil should be kept slightly moist at all times. 

3. Bamboo Palm

Called Bambusoideae in Latin, the Bamboo Palm can grow pretty big so they're a superstar at filtering formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air. It develops well in humid environments and should be kept in a medium to brightly lit room to better detox your home.

4. Janet Craig (Corn Plant)

Called Dracaena fragrans in Latin, the Janet Craig Plant is best for cleaning the air of TCE (trichloreoethylene). Keep it in bright light but out of direct sunlight and let the soil dry out between watering. They can grow up to twenty feet tall, though this is unlikely to happen in your home, it's more common to find them at that height in the jungle. 

5. Mother-In-Law’s Tongue (Snake Plant)

Called Sansevieria Trifasciata in Latin, the Mother-In-Law's Tongue is a great air purifier. This very stable plant rids the air of formaldehyde and nitrogen oxide produced by fuel-burning appliances, so it's the go-to plant for living spaces, kitchens and rooms with wood stoves. The Mother-In-Law's Tongue also creates oxygen at night which the other plants on this list do not. It flourishes well in all lights and should not be overwatered.

The more plants you have in your home, the better the indoor quality of your air, but there's no need to turn the rooms in your house into mini jungles. Studies have shown that just one six inch plant per every 100 square feet is enough to detox your home. With nothing more than a bit of regular watering and loving from your side, these plants will soon free your home of indoor air contamination and have you breathing easy.

Which houseplants do you like most?

Please share your experience below. It's hard keeping houseplants alive! Many of us can't do it.