Houseplants Remove Toxins from Indoor Air

Potted rubber plant

Did you know that many of your home’s furnishings, including carpeting, cleaning supplies, furniture, and paint, emit toxic gasses into your indoor air? These gasses are called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In smaller amounts, VOCs can irritate your eye, nose and throat. In larger amounts they can cause fatigue, headache, memory problems, and nausea, and even damage your organs and possibly cause cancer.

If you have houseplants, you’re protecting yourself from VOCs. Plants absorb VOCs out of the air, and so do microorganisms in potting soil.

Here are some easy-to-grow houseplants that are among the best at air purification:

• Dwarf date palm
• English ivy
• Ficus
• Lady palm
• Peace lily
• Rubber plant

One precaution though: If you have mold allergies or asthma, ask your healthcare provider before creating a jungle in your living room. The soil houseplants grow in can harbor mold, so don’t grow too many plants, and be very careful not to overwater them.