Many people are looking for a natural way to boost their health in their home. For some people with lung diseases, needing more oxygen is very demanding. Of course, there exist many tools these days to increase oxygen levels in homes manually such as air purifiers and oxygenators. But there are also many natural ways of increasing air quality at home too. This can be achieved simply by investing in house plants.
Why Keep Houseplants?
Did you know that, on average, a person living in the UK will spend 53 years of their life indoors? They spend a staggering 92% percent of their time inside! This is one reason why keeping plants inside our homes is vital.
Air indoor is quite often just as polluted or even more polluted than air. It is linked to ailments such as chemical sensitivity, headaches, and asthma. Chemicals from cleaning and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) from building finishes and furniture, as well as things from cooking can contribute to the poor air quality in our homes.
Which plants are the best to improve indoor oxygen levels I hear you ask? Let’s take a look at some of the best.
Areca Palm
Like every plant out there, the Areca Palm takes in carbon dioxide in the air and releases oxygen through photosynthesis. This biological engineering of the plant world is the whole reason why the human race can survive. However, the Areca Palm has some unique properties that make it a good choice for improving air quality indoors. It can also remove dangerous chemicals such as xylene, toluene, and formaldehyde.
Caring for an Areca Palm
Best placed in a living room, this plant does well if watered often and exposed to filtered light. For each person in the household, four plants at shoulder height should give the desired effects.
Mother-in-Law’s Tongue – The Snake Plant
This plant is highly efficient in producing oxygen. Its two names reflect its appearance for sure! It produces oxygen largely at night time and purifies the air by removing chemicals such as trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and xylene. If you were in an air-sealed room, this plant could produce enough oxygen for normal breathing!
Caring for a Snake Plant
This plant needs window light but only needs watering once a week. For a one-person household, you will need between six and eight plants at waist level for the optimum oxygen production. It is best placed in a bedroom thanks to its night-time air purification.
Money Plant
The Money Plant is famous for its chemical removal capabilities. Even NASA uses these plants to remove pollutants from the air. It removes formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and xylene. Having said that, this plant needs to be weighed up against the risks it brings to small children and pets. If someone ingests the leaves, the plant is toxic.
Caring for a Money Plant
This plant needs indirect sunlight and only needs watering once a week or so. For a single person, having three plants measuring 18 inches is recommended. It can be in any room (but away from dogs, cats, and small children!).
Gerbera Daisy Plants
Houseplants don’t have to be boring! Why not add a touch of colour and prettiness to your home as well as the purified air that they bring? The gerbera daisy is often grown outside but they can work extremely well as night-time oxygen producers in the home. They produce high levels of the gas as well as improving the quality of the air by removing chemicals such as trichloroethylene and benzene. If you suffer from sleep apnoea or a breathing disorder, place this plant on your bedside table and you should sleep better!
Caring for Gerbera Daisies
These plants prefer bright sunlight especially during the spring, summer, and autumn months. In the winter months, indirect light is preferable. You should keep the soil moist and water it regularly. This plant doesn’t have a recommended number of plants for each person. The decorative nature means you can use as many as you like!
Chinese Evergreen
One of the most commonly found household plants is the Chinese Evergreen. It gives off so much oxygen and purifies the air in a remarkable way, getting rid of formaldehyde, benzene, as well as other toxins. As you would expect, this plant is popular in Chinese homes thanks to its efficiency in removing pollutants from the air.
Caring for a Chinese Evergreen
This plant does very well in complete shade. You should keep the soil moist, but it does not need watering frequently. Again, there is no recommended number of plants to keep. They are efficient in their air purification and oxygen production. These plants do well in complete shade and you only need to water them occasionally. Keep as many of them as you wish.
Aloe Vera
Many people are familiar with Aloe Vera, at least in its topical form if not its plant form. Aloe Vera is succulent and can remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air. Both chemicals are carcinogens in humans. Placed in the bedroom, this plant is ideal as it releases oxygen at night time. It is also a medicinal plant used for treating burns on the skin.
Caring for Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera thrives in homes with lots of natural sunlight, but you must be careful not to overwater it. Best placed in the bedroom for the benefits of the overnight oxygen release.
Rubber Plant
This plant is not only great at removing chemicals such as formaldehyde from the air, but it is also very attractive as a houseplant. In good conditions, it can grow up to eight feet.
Caring for a Rubber Plant
These plants prefer bright but indirect light and need watering regularly. In dry weather, you should also mist the leaves with water. They can grow quite large, so one rubber plant in a living area should suffice.
Final Words
If you desire a healthier environment at home, investing in some well-chosen houseplants will help you in achieving the balance in the air you breathe. Plants don’t just remove chemicals from the air and release oxygen. Often, the caring for the plants can give us an immense sense of well-being too, giving us a mental boost.
Choosing which plant is up to you, your needs, and how much time you want to invest in looking after it. No matter your choice of plant, you are bringing life back into your home and into the air, you breathe. What could be better than that?
