Fight Bad Air with Houseplants

Modern people spend more than 80% of our time indoors; in our bedrooms at night or in our offices during the day. Long term, this can be problematic because the air indoors is two to five times more polluted than the air outdoors. This concentration of harmful substances in the air can trigger and spread illness. Choose the right houseplants to reduce this risk!

Pollutants in the Air

Many commonly found household objects release harmful substances. This list includes:

Carpeting
Carpet glue
Textiles
Construction materials
Dyes
Insulation materials
Cleaning supplies
Insect sprays
Poorly maintained air conditioning or ventilation systems
Electronic devices
Plastics

Additionally, exhaust gases from outside and cigarette smoke also cloud our air. This means that substances like formaldehyde, benzenes, trichloroethylene, acetone, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, mold spores and allergens pollute indoor air.

Bad air consequences

Exposing yourself to bad air over time can have a negative effect on your health. Symptoms include discomfort, fatigue, lack of concentration and listlessness. Bad air can also cause allergies or asthma, headaches, coughing and rashes, irritation of the eyes, throat or nose or even liver and kidney strain.

Houseplants to the rescue!

As NASA found out ( here 's the article), houseplants counteract bad indoor air. They neutralize harmful gases by absorbing them through their leaves and using enzymes to break them down or transport them to the roots, where the pollutants are used to nourish microbes.

To detoxify air indoors, find the right plants and the right plant care.

Find the right number of plants to help

To ensure optimal air purification with indoor plants, the plants need to be healthy. They need a comfortable air temperature and need to be watered correctly.

You also need enough plants to make a difference. A single plant is not enough to clean the air of a 60 square metre apartment. As a guideline, one medium-sized plant per 12 square metres should be the minimum amount of plants you need. Of course, the more plants, the better.