The wellness space is full of buzzy concepts and fads, but clean air is not a trend. We all deserve better-quality air, especially in our homes where we sleep, relax, and house our food, babies, and animals.
Houseplants offer beauty and a connection to nature. Studies show that just looking at or interacting with plants in your home can reduce stress. But they are also very effective air purifiers, which is crucial for everyone in a typical housing situation.
Carpeting, primer, bonding agents, cleaning supplies, paint … so many components that go into constructing your home are heavily laden with off-gassing chemicals. The Clean Air Study by NASA showed that houseplants can remove up to 87% of these chemicals in the air. Spruce your own space with a few if not all of these lush beauties.
Variegated Snake Plant
Price: $16
The Sill
This mod and sleek plant, sometimes also referred to Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, is a stylish pop of greenery in your home. It is great at filtering out formaldehyde, which can be found in cleaning products, hair dyes and treatments, and even toilet paper (yikes). It gives off oxygen at night, making it a nice one near the bedroom, but prefers humidity, so the bathroom is a safe place to keep it happiest.
Peace Lily
Price: $40
Pottery Barn
This pretty little thing is a bit more delicate and requires misting the leaves every few days and making sure the soil remains damp. It’s like a humidifier for the room—it takes up a lot of that water from the leaves and roots and releases it back into the air, so think of misting this plant as misting your skin symbiotically. Peace lilies also soak up mold spores, so they are great plants to keep around the bedroom and the house. Make sure she gets soft morning light and no harsh afternoon light.
Fiddle Leaf
Price: $85
Target
This indoor tree is a classic design staple and a purifying powerhouse. Its big, broad leaves are super efficient at purifying air, so it’s amazing for home and office use. It also helps control humidity. Just make sure you place it in a bright, sunny room, as it needs a lot of natural light.
Boston Fern
Price: $30
Target
These are another plant we recommend for the bathroom because they thrive on low filtered light and humidity (think the bottom of the forest floor), and they love moisture. Their leaves are beautiful and delicate and help remove xylene—a toxic solvent found in petroleum, rubber, paint, leather, cigarettes, and more. The Boston fern is the top houseplant for removing formaldehyde as well, according to that same NASA study.
Spider Plant
Price: $6
Hirt's Gardens
This classic houseplant looks nothing like a spider, and is one of the most heroic plants we can get. NASA’s study showed that spider plants removed 95% of formaldehyde from a sealed plexiglass chamber in 24 hours. Epic. They also send out shoots of baby spider plants that you can share with friends or easily propagate so that you have one in every room. How thoughtful.
The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that Poosh, LLC (“Poosh”) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. You understand and agree that Poosh shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.
Up next, be the first to know our weekly content and sign up for our Poosh newsletter.
