Hi lovelies,
hope you are doing well! Speaking of staying healthy, last year I invested in air-purifying indoor plants. I had recently purchased a new mattress and was experiencing some allergic symptoms. After doing much research, and consulting NASA’s Clean Air Study, here are the plants I chose:
1 – The majestic Areca Palm. My beautiful palm spends summers outdoors. Here she is enjoying life on the patio. While indoors, she protects me from formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene – some of the VOC’s that are off-gassed from matresses. The Areca Palm is non-toxic to animals.
2 – On my bedside table, lives my sweet Aloe Vera plant. A multi-tasking plant that can be used as a skin balm, this succulent also purifies the air of formaldehyde and benzene, found in varnishes and floor finishes. Please be aware that Aloe plants are toxic to dogs and cats.
3 – I purchased a Snake Plant for my bedroom as well. The Sansevieria trifasciata is a native of West Africa. It’s unique because it releases oxygen only at night, helping us to breathe better while we sleep. It is one of the best plants for filtering the air of formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, toluene, and trichloroethylene. It is mildly toxic to cats and dogs and can cause gastric discomfort.
4 – I feel like doing a show and tell of all my favorite houseplants, lol, but alas, I’ll wrap up this blog post with my charming English Ivy plant. This evergreen vine purifies air in the home of: formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, toluene, and trichloroethylene. In addition, ivy can also help combat mold levels in the home. It is toxic to pets.
For the most part, my preference is to plant in terracotta pots as they are not only beautiful but allow the plant to breathe. In an effort to support local business, I also always check my favorite nursery in town first, and then if unable to find the specimen that suits, visit Home Depot. I’ve purchased some plants from HomeDepot.com, WorldMarket.com, and Etsy.com. Happy to say they were beautiful, and have lasted.
One more note on clean air. In my view, you can’t underestimate the importance of fresh air and good ventilation in keeping indoor air pure and toxin-free. Ask my husband, I’m in favor of keeping windows open as much as possible, especially in our bedroom at night.