Bringing life indoors is not only a cheery way to add life and color to your space, but it’s also hugely beneficial in improving the air quality of your home or office.  NASA has found certain species to be especially useful in absorbing harmful gasses and cleaning indoor air.  I personally even find a calmness in having something green indoors-mental benefits alone convince me to care for them.

Science break! The air inside our homes, offices, schools, etc., is found to hold on average 10 times more pollution than outdoor air.  Unsurprising, if you consider how many chemicals we introduce to our spaces, as well as the chemicals and gasses we may not even regard.  Think toxic emissions from building materials, airborne molds, viruses, the chemicals we clean with (green or not), perfumes, candles burned, the list goes on.  More surprising, however, is the fact that Americans spend an estimated 90 percent of their time indoors (according to the Environmental Protection Agency)!

You won’t kill the below varieties!  They require lower levels of light and the care is relatively easy.  So keeping them inside your office or in the more interior places of your home is quite alright by these guys.  Below are the varieties and their benefits against
indoor air pollution.

Removes formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air (painters!)  Thrives in moderate, indirect sunlight; cooler temperature-air conditioning is ok!  Xylene is liquid hydrocarbon obtained by distilling wood, coal tar, or petroleum.  We use the in fuels and solvents-cleaning agent and paint thinner)

Removes benzene, formaldhehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air.

Thrives in moderate to love indirect sunlight. Great for the office if you aren’t near a big window!  Toulene is also a liquid hydrocarbon obtained the same was xylene is, we find this also in nail polish remover, correction fluid, paint thinners, and correction fluid.

Removes benzene, formaldhehyde, xylene, trichloroethylene, ammonia and toluene from the air.  Thrives in moderate to low indirect sunlight.

Trichloroethylene is a colorless volatile liquid used as a solvent (used to remove grease from metals) and formerly an anesthetic. Evaporates quickly into the air.

Snake Plant (Sanseviera rifasciata)
Removes benzene, formaldhehyde, xylene, trichloroethylene, and toluene from the air.

Snake Plants also convert their carbon dioxide into oxygen at night (most others do this only during the day).  Keep this closer to the bedroom to help detoxify that space.

Formaldhehyde is a colorless pungent gas made by oxidizing methanol.  Used to make home building products.

Removes formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air.

Thrives in moderate, indirect sunlight and loves humidity!

These guys do well in a hanging basket or up high so you can drape their vines.

These plants are a good way to continue to bring more wellness to your life.  Not only do they help to detoxify your space, but they are also lovely to look at and in my experience add some comfort and peace to your home.

And also this could be you…