Improve Indoor Air Quality with Plants

Plants are powerful. Not only can they lift your spirits when you see them, but they can improve the quality of the air you breathe. For those who like to get their hands dirty and watch things grow, this is a win-win.

At Triple T, we’re all in favor of doing things that help improve air quality, even if it isn’t directly related to your HVAC system. Check out these plants that easily remove contaminants and volatile organic compounds (commonly referred to as VOCs) from the air, and allow you to breathe a little easier when you incorporate them in your home.

9 Plants to Help You Breathe Easier

1. Aloe Vera

Known as a succulent that is often used to soothe sunburns. Aloe Vera is also able to remove formaldehyde from the air.

2. Gerbera Daisies

These oversized, brightly colored flowers are not only gorgeous, but they also remove trichloroethylene (used in dry cleaning) and benzene (found in ink and office equipment), from the air in your home.

3. Garden Mum

The Chrysanthemum morifolium (also known as the garden mum) is a versatile, air filtering rockstar. This plant removes ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene from the air, and you can transplant it outside after blooming to keep the growth going.

4. English Ivy

The glossy leaves of the English Ivy plant can clear the air of some pretty disgusting things (like airborne fecal matter, which is good to know if you have pets in your home). It also gets rid of benzene and formaldehyde, which are sometimes introduced into your environment by cleaning products and carpet cleaning treatments.

5. Eucalyptus

The plant that koala bears love to eat can also improve your health. Tannins in the leaves can make it easier for people to breathe, and may even help ward off colds.

6. Weeping Fig

A member of the ficus family, the weeping fig takes on pollutants like benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde. It grows quickly, thrives in sunshine, and is healthy when not moved, not replanted or misted often, to avoid overwatering.

7. Peace Lily

This easy-to-care-for plant removes the most common air pollutants from a home, as well as toluene, ammonia, and xylene. This plant loves the shade and doesn’t take up much room, yet another reason to bring a Peace Lily into the home.

8. African Violets

Some say that looking at the purple of these plants can give people a little adrenaline boost. It removes benzene and other VOCs from the air.

9. Areca Indoor Palm

This indoor palm is also known as the yellow butterfly palm or the bamboo palm and is incredibly easy to grow. It was one of the top 10 air purifying plants in a 1989 study conducted by NASA. Some studies say a 6-foot areca indoor palm releases a quart of water back into the air in a 24 hour period.

If you’re looking for advice to improve the air quality in your home, our EPA-certified technicians can help you find the right solution. If you need to add an air purifier or a humidifier to make your indoor air quality top-notch, we can help with that too! Give Triple T a call today to get the process started.