Many people experience breathing problems in the home and have no idea of what may be the cause. Typically, indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air and normal items like furniture, cleaning products, synthetic fragrances, and upholstery can emit toxic chemicals.Don’t worry! You won’t have to quarantine your home. One easy affordable way to get better quality air and combat toxicity is to fill the home with houseplants!
That’s right! Houseplants can clear the air of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and make the home safer for you and your family by removing pollutants and absorbing them through their leaves and roots (the bigger, the better).
Not all houseplants are grown the same so you want to be sure to fill your home with the right ones to purify the air. Breathe easy with our list of 7 plants you need in your home today!
1. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera, which falls into the succulent family, has been known for its healing properties. More commonly, people know aloe vera for the soothing gel it produces, but it’s a great natural way to clear the air of gases and pollutants like formaldehyde. This plant is one of the easiest to care for. Get your aloe vera plant here!
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2. Areca Palm Tree
This plant will not only beautify your home, it is also one of NASA’s top-ranking purifying plants. It’s the most efficient due to its size and continuously removes toxins from the air. It can also replace your humidifiers during the wintertime. This plant is a must-have! Order yours here!
RELATED: Top 10 Indoor Plants For Cleaner Air
3. Snake Plant
Snake plants thrive in low light and humid conditions, making this plant easy to care for and difficult to kill. The best place for a snake plant is the bathroom, although they can go anywhere in the home.
These plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen at night rather than during the day so our tip is to place one in the bedroom for an oxygen boost and improved sleep. Get your snake plant here!
4. Peace Lily
The peace lily is not only beautiful, but it was also listed at the top of NASA’s list for plants that remove the three most common VOCs, formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene.
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The best part about this plant is that it’s easy to care for, thriving in shade and requiring weekly watering. It will also let you know when it’s ready for water! Get your Peace Lily here!
5. Kimberly Queen Fern
This beautiful fern is not as well known, but it is highly effective for removing formaldehyde and alcohol from the air. It is also a natural humidifier and can grow to take up a lot of surface area, which is great because larger plants work quicker.
The Kimberly Queen Fern can grow indoors and outdoors, and a great placement would be in areas of the home that are in close quarters to a garage (so that the plant can purify air touched by car exhaust). Get your Kimberly Queen Fern here!
6. Spider Plant
This is a great plant to consider for those of us who tend to be forgetful. The spider plant is extremely resilient and thrives in cool to average temperatures with indirect sunlight.
Carbon monoxide, xylene, benzene, and formaldehyde are the VOCs that the spider plant combats. This is a great plant for homes with children and pets. Order yours here!
7. Rubber Plant 
Despite its name, this is a real live plant. The rubber plant is one of the oldest plants used as houseplants worldwide. It requires less light than most plants and does an excellent job of removing toxins from indoor air with its large leaves.
This plant is great in most households, but the leaves are known to be toxic for animals, so be careful with the placement of this one if you have pets. Get your rubber plant here!
Remember, the more plants, the better. In order to optimize the benefits, you’ll want to have at least two plants per every 100 square feet. Plants with larger leaves work quicker than their smaller counterparts so when shopping for your house plants, keep that in mind.
Jasmine Danielle is the Associate Editor of BlackDoctor.org. She received her BFA in Dance Education & Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has since done work as a certified fitness & wellness educator, blogger, dancer, and designer.
