Best Indoor Plants for Removing Air Pollutants

Indoor plants offer many more advantages than just decoration. The most important of these is removing pollutants from the air. Air pollution is just as rampant indoors as it is outside and staying inside does not protect you from its adverse effects. A few indoor plants act as efficient air purifiers. For the best results, put as many of these plants in the rooms you use most.  A good rule is to have at least two plants per 100 square feet of space. If you live in a particularly polluted area, add more plants.

These are the best indoor plants that have the ability to naturally improve the air quality in your home. All of these indoor plants were researched and analyzed by NASA. Each has a unique way to naturally cleanse the air of toxins including formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide. If you do not have an air purifier in your home, these 11 indoor plants are the next best thing and completely natural.

Peace Lily

Peace Lily is a beautiful evergreen plant that is widely regarded to be easy to care for. They require very little light or water to remain healthy, which is one of the main reasons why they’re one of the most popular plants to keep in your home. While they are great to have inside your home, they also work remarkably well as a groundcover around your home, especially in areas where the grass is hard to grow because of the shade.

NASA’s analysis of indoor plants revealed that Peace Lily was the most efficient at removing airborne Volatile Organic Compounds, including formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and benzene. Simply put it in a dark corner, give it water once a week and this little plant will help purify the air around that general area.

Bamboo Palm

The bamboo palm is one of the most well-known indoor plants and the perfect plant to rid the home of cigarette smoke. It can be widely found in designated smoking areas. It is also very adept at removing formaldehyde and benzene – an ingredient used to make dyes, lubricants, rubbers, and detergents – and trichloroethylene, an industrial solvent.

Rubber Plant

The Rubber Plant is ideal for absorbing carbon monoxide in the office or home. It is also especially effective at removing formaldehyde from indoor air. It is recommended that you use the Rubber Plant in areas with a lot of space as this indoor plant can grow extremely large.

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum is a popular plant that people like to have in their home. With the proper care and right type of soil, Chrysanthemum will start to produce lots of beautiful blooms of various colours. These blooms not only help brighten the room, they also help cleanse the air of many chemicals that are common in homes. These include formaldehyde, xylene, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and trichloroethylene.

Devil’s Ivy

Devil’s Ivy is a popular indoor plant that can be found growing all over the world. With evergreen vines and small green heart-shaped leaves, this houseplant is commonly planted in hanging baskets. It is one of the most popular plants not only because it looks decorative, but also because it is extremely easy to care for. The most important benefit of Devil’s Ivy is that it is an efficient cleanser of air pollutants, such as benzene, trichloroethylene, xylene and formaldehyde.

Red-Edged Dracaena

Red-Edged Dracaena is an evergreen shrub that produces narrow green, yellow or cream-colored leaves. This plant is extremely popular because it takes little work to maintain. According to the NASA Clean Air Study, Red-Edged Dracaena is one of the most efficient plants at removing formaldehyde from the air in your home, as well as other VOCs, including benzene, trichloroethylene, and xylene.

Lady Palm

Lady Palm is an indoor plant that would be beneficial to have around your home. They are able to tolerate low-levels of light, high amounts of water and a wide range of temperatures. This evergreen palm can thrive in both indoor and outdoor environments. The NASA Clean Air Study discovered Lady Palm to be one of the best plants at cleansing the air of formaldehyde, ammonia, xylene and toluene.

English Ivy

English Ivy is a popular indoor plant that helps filter airborne toxins inside your home. According to NASA’s Clean Air Study, English Ivy is effective at cleansing benzene, formaldehyde, xylene and toluene from the air. Additionally, other studies have indicated that English Ivy also helps reduce mold in your home.

Spider Plant

The Spider Plant is one of the most widely used indoor plants that protect people from air pollutants and biological toxins. The spider plant also makes a great eco-wall addition.

Umbrella Tree

The Umbrella Tree is a plant that thrives indoors. It is incredibly resilient and its dark green leaves have a waxy shine. Not only will the Umbrella Tree filter out tobacco smoke and Carbon Monoxide but also benzene, formaldehyde and toluene.

Snake Plant

Snake Plant is an evergreen perennial plant that is known to improve your indoor air quality. According to NASA, it is one of the best indoor plants for absorbing airborne toxins, including formaldehyde, nitrogen oxide, benzene, xylene and trichloroethylene. It is a great plant to have indoors, as it can endure low amounts of light at long durations.