I think that our house is suffering from sick building syndrome. My husband has terrible allergies and they worsen on the weekends when he’s home for 2 days and now I’m starting to wake up every morning with a sore throat. It also seems that my almost 3 year old is always congested. Since our home is brand new and in a construction zone, there are tons of toxins floating through the air. Not to mention we have 2 dogs full of dander. In his book “How to Grow Cleaner Air” NASA scientist, Dr. B.C. Wolverton found that plants are natural air purifiers and were able to remove up to 87% of air toxins in 24 hours. The following list are plants that are most effective in purifying, however some of these may be toxic to pets and children:
Top Ten
- Areca Palm
- Lady Palm
- Zamioculcas zamifolia
- Philodendron
- Miniature Date Palm
- Peace Lilly
- Dracaena
- Boston Fern
- Ficus
- Rubber Plant
Non-toxic list:
- Bamboo Palm
- Spider Plants
- Ficus
- Gerbera Daisy
- Janet Craig - Corn Plant
Benefits of plants include:
- Absorb harmful substances
- Filter dust and dirt from the environment
- Dampen sound levels
- Reduce stress levels
- Increase humidity levels
- Have a cooling effect
- Lift general mood, and
- Emit oxygen refreshing air
Click NASA Air Purifying Plant Study for a more comprehensive plant list from the NASA study…warning, these are not all non-toxic plants! Based on my research you need 1 plant for every 100 square feet of living space. I’m off to Pike’s now to purchase 30 plants!
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Great idea! But be careful with the little ones, the spider plant is on some of the poisonous plant lists.