Are you looking to reduce toxins, germs, and bacteria in the air of your home? Then your best bet is to get an air purifier. Or so many people recommend.
But in truth, there are other effective ways of cleaning and purifying your air without having to spend massive amounts of money on purifiers and the filters that need to be replaced.
A good alternative is to get plants that will purify your air and get rid of toxins. You just need to know which plants work best for this.
And this is what you will find out in this article. Not only will these plants clear your air of toxins and germs, but they will also look great in your home, and some of them don’t need that much maintenance. So you will save a lot on the short and long-term costs while making your air cleaner and your home nicer.
Here are the 10 best plants for removing toxins and for air purification.
1. Pothos Plant
We recognize the pothos plant as one of the easiest air purification plants that you can get. It is a trailing vine with heart-shaped green leaves that will sometimes have shades of white, yellow, and pale green. It is an excellent plant for offices or homes as it doesn’t take up a lot of space, it looks great, and doesn’t require much sunlight.
When the pothos plant fully grows, it will reach a size of about 10 feet, but maybe even more. The plant won’t flower; the pothos plant is known for requiring little to no direct sunlight, a slightly acidic soil, and are well adapted to room temperatures. The only thing you will need to provide it with is constant watering, and perhaps some fertilizer from time to time.
Pothos will clear out indoor air chemicals such as formaldehyde, trichloroethene, toluene, xylene, and benzene. Just be careful that you don’t eat the plant (or anyone else, for that matter), as it contains some toxins.
2. Dragon Tree Plant
The dragon tree plant is one of the most common air purification plants that we see in households and offices. It is a spiky and relatively tall plant that will grow slowly. The leaves of the plant are long and thin, and they are colored green with a red edging. That will add to the coloring of your room.
It does need a reasonable amount of sunlight, though, so make sure to give it that. Another consideration with this plant is that it can grow to up to 8ft, so placing it in a room with a relatively high ceiling should be considered.
It removes xylene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde, three toxins that can be harmful to us. Water it regularly, and give it some sunlight, and this plant will not require too much else from you.
3. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is one of the hardiest plants that you can have in your house. Not only is it good for healing wounds, but it also has anti-inflammatory properties. But above all, the plant can function very effectively as a natural air purifier.
The best thing about this plant is that it is small so it can be kept on a table or on a window sill. This small plant has thick and spiky leaves that also have some other properties that make it so versatile. You can’t go wrong with having an aloe vera plant in your house or office.
It removes formaldehyde. They do require a slightly warmer room and plenty of sunlight to thrive, but regular maintenance and watering should be enough to keep this plant happy and healthy.
4. Peace Lily
Also known as Spathiphyllum, the peace lily plant is a very adaptable plant that won’t require a lot of maintenance. It is a crowd-favorite as it is known for its effectiveness when it comes to air purifying. These plants are not true lilies, but they belong to the Araceae family instead.
Once these plants grow, you will see white flowers, similar to that of a lily. The plant can also be quite leafy and thick, which makes for very nice viewing. The leaves are bold and thick, and the plant can reach up to three feet in size.
Finally, it is one of the most effective air-purifying plants out there. It can remove various toxins, such as benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, xylene, and trichloroethylene.
5. English Ivy
English ivy has been around since ancient times. If you want a vine plant that will purify your air, then get the English ivy. You can use it around your furniture or anywhere in your home or office. It serves both decorative purposes as well as air purifying means.
You can’t go wrong with this plant. It will grow to about 6-8 inches tall, and it can spread to 15 feet. What these plants prefer is slightly moist air with not a lot of sunlight. It has grown to adapt over these hundreds of years to adapt to low-light situations, and can even survive with minimal sunlight.
In fact, NASA claims that English ivy holds the number one spot for purifying air among all of the indoor houseplants, and that tells you a lot. It will eliminate formaldehyde and benzene, and it will look great.
6. Areca Palm
Let’s get this out of the way first: you shouldn’t consider an areca palm if you don’t have a lot of space and a tall ceiling. When it matures, it can grow to about 30 feet at most, and to 15 feet wide. Although it is true that this plant is one of the best for air purification within households.
They are a relatively short-lived species that will require plenty of sunlight. It is considered an evergreen houseplant, and it will start blooming in the summer. It has narrow, soft bamboo-like leaves that will spread across the house.
For purifying, it will clear the air of formaldehyde and benzene. The good thing is that they will intake a lot of air, meaning they will purify more of it. The not so good news is that it is tall, and is susceptible to diseases.
7. Laceleaf (Anthurium)
The anthurium, or the laceleaf, is a very interesting-looking plant. It has thick green leaves and very bright red leaves. It can be used to emphasize the red colors in your room. But more importantly, it has some very good air purification capabilities.
It is sometimes known as the flamingo flower as well. The plant will live for many years on condition that it is provided with good care and regular watering. It doesn’t like direct sunlight, although it does need light.
It is certainly one of the gorgeous house plants that you can own. It will remove formaldehyde, ammonia, xylene, and toluene, making it one of the most effective air purifiers.
8. Spider Plant
The spider plant is one of the easiest plants to own on this list. That is because it is highly adaptable, as it has been forced to become due to its natural roots. It has long, thin leaves that hang out of the vase, so they appear like a spider, hence the name spider plant.
These plants often start out as small white flowers and then grow into these plants with green, spidery leaves. Caring for these plants is easy; they are very durable and tough and can survive a lot of time without water. Still, water it from time to time, and trim it.
NASA estimated that it cleanses 90% of potential cancer-inducing toxins, including formaldehyde.
9. Snake Plant
Similarly, to the spider plant, the snake plant is also named after an animal. That is due to its leaves and the shape they grow out in. It also has another interesting name: the mother in-law’s tongue. Once you see the shape of the leaves, you will know why.
But in all seriousness, this plant very effective for cleaning toxins out of the air. It will filter out formaldehyde, and it will also provide a very interesting-looking plant to your house.
10. Rubber Tree Plant
Last but not least, we have the rubber tree plant. This is another interesting house plant that can grow quite high. It needs a good balance of water and sunlight, although it is not that demanding.
The thing that separates this plant is its thick, rubber-like leaves. Again, if you don’t have too much space in your house or office, don’t consider this plant. It can grow to about 50 feet in size, or even more, although it is very effective for filtering some toxins from the air.
As well as converting CO2 into oxygen, it will also remove some bacteria that can populate your household.
Wrapping Up
Having house plants for air purification makes a lot of sense: they will make your house more interesting and lively, and they will actively eliminate toxins from the air. These are the best plants to choose for air purification in your home.
