These days, homeowners here in Roseville, CA have justifiable concerns about their homes’ indoor air quality. After all, the average home’s indoor air quality can be two and five times worse than that of the outside air. Add in an increasing frequency of wildfires in our region, and you have a recipe for air quality worries. Did you know that there’s a simple way to improve your home’s air quality right now? By adding indoor plants to your home, you can reduce the levels of a variety of harmful substances in the air. Here’s everything you need to know about the impact of indoor plants on air quality.
The Scientific Consensus on Plants and Air Quality
You may be surprised to learn that scientists have studied the effects of plants on indoor air quality for years. And while there’s still some disagreement over their efficacy as a solution for air quality, they will certainly help. According to a 1989 NASA study, houseplants proved capable of eliminating substances like benzene and trichloroethylene from the surrounding air. The report also concluded that plants can use the mechanism of photosynthesis to convert those substances into oxygen.
Now, before you run over to your local home center to empty their garden section, a word of caution. While plants have demonstrated beneficial effects on indoor air quality, they’re no panacea. You’d need an absurd number of live plants in your home to cure most serious issues of air quality. However, as a part of an integrated approach to air quality improvement, they’re well worth having.
Which Plants to Add to Your Home
If you’re interested in adding some beneficial plants to improve your home’s air quality, you have plenty of options. Here are some plants that would make good additions and where to put them in your home.
Spider Plants
Spider plants are among the best varieties to add to every corner of your home. They can help remove substances like formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from your home’s air. Plus, they’re easy to take care of. They thrive in both shady and semi-sunny conditions. All you need to do is keep their soil moist, and they’ll live happily. Plus, spider plants are simple to propagate. That means you can turn a plant in one corner of your home into several in just a few years’ time.
English Ivy
English ivy plants are another excellent plant species to add to your home. The aforementioned NASA study found that English ivy plants are especially adept at removing benzene. Your home may have high benzene levels if there’s a smoker living there. However, benzene can also come in from the outdoors and a variety of cleaning products and home furnishings. English ivy plants grow well in shady to sunny environments, but they prefer cooler temperatures. That makes them ideal for room interiors where you can keep them out of the hot sun. To care for an English ivy plant, simply keep its soil and leaves moist, and it’ll live for years.
Philodendrons
Philodendrons are among the most popular houseplants in the world. Homeowners love them because of their heart-shaped leaves and long, trailing vines. They’re also simple to care for. If you’re willing to water them frequently, they can tolerate even the sunniest spots in your home. However, they thrive just as well in shadier conditions. They make great additions to high shelves, where their vines may spread and increase their air-cleaning capabilities. Philodendrons excel at removing formaldehyde, which a variety of consumer products and furniture may emit.
Peace Lilies
If you’re looking for an excellent all-around air-cleaning plant, the peace lily is it. Studies show that peace lilies are great at capturing benzene, formaldehyde, alcohol, acetone, and trichloroethylene. Plus, they’re aesthetically pleasing, so you can keep them in any room of your home. They do, however, prefer semi-shady conditions, so don’t keep them right near a window. They also require regular watering and prefer slightly humid conditions.
Bromeliads
If you’ve never heard of them, bromeliads are another all-purpose air-cleaning plant. They feature lush green foliage and bright flowers. They make the perfect addition to a bedroom, where they may improve your sleep quality. Best of all, bromeliads are drought-tolerant and barely need any care. They like medium to full sun, well-drained soil and watering every week or two, depending on the type.
Areca Palms
Areca palms are also adept at removing multiple contaminants from indoor air. Plus, they grow tall, making them perfect for corners of living rooms, bedrooms, and more. They also add a fair amount of humidity to your home’s air, so if you’re also dealing with dry air, they’ll help. Plus, they excel at removing substances like xylene and toluene, which are present in a variety of household cleaning products. Areca palms like moist soil and tolerate partial and full sun. So, you’ll need to water them regularly and add plant fertilizer to their pot at least twice a year.
Rubber Plants
Finally, rubber plants make a perfect air-cleaning option for dimly lit areas of your home. In the right conditions, they can grow up to six feet tall indoors, and they’re great at removing formaldehyde. Plus, they’re not fussy plants, requiring only infrequent watering and occasional leaf dusting. They can even work in bright lighting conditions since they’re highly adaptable. In fact, full-sun conditions will encourage them to grow. So, you could keep one near a window until it’s fully grown and then relocate it to a dimmer part of your home.
Other Air Cleaning Measures to Complement Plants
Before you choose from the plants listed above, it’s a good idea to have the air quality in your home tested. That will let you know what specific contaminants are in your home’s air. It will also allow you to know whether plants alone are the right solution. In many cases, you will require an air filtration system working alongside your plants to improve your home’s air quality. Our air quality experts can help you choose the right system for your needs and install it for you. They can even advise you on which plants you should add to your home to help your system work best.
Your Trusted Air Quality Experts
Environmental Heating & Air Solutions is the place to turn for all of your needs for indoor air quality in Roseville. We offer air duct cleaning, air filtration, duct sealing, ventilation, and an array of other services for air quality. We also offer complete HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance services, as well as comprehensive plumbing services.
Our HVAC technicians are NATE-certified, we’re a Lennox Premier Dealer, and we have a long list of five-star customer reviews. We’re Better Business Bureau-accredited with an A+ rating. We can offer you financing options on approved credit to help you pay for your home’s air quality, HVAC, and plumbing needs.
If you’re looking to improve the air quality in your Roseville home, contact our experts at Environmental Heating & Air Solutions today!
