5 Houseplants That’ll Help Clean The Gross Polluted Air

The power of houseplants, eh?

Updated on02 06 2021

It’s no secret that air pollution is a huge problem these days. We’re not without reports telling us just how damaging toxic air can be to both the environment and ourselves. From research pointing to how air pollution increases stress hormones and alters our metabolism through to the gross things it does to our skinand our general health, we’re not in a very good state.

And while it can often feel like a really distant issue when we think of pollution as one of those things going on way out there in the big bad world, the air indoors isn’t without its fair share of toxins too, unfortunately.

Indoor air pollution can be caused by a number of things like gas cookers, chemicals from furniture and cleaning products and smoking. The good news is though, beyond having to fork out for a shiny new air purifying machine, there is a cheaper, more aesthetically pleasing solution worth considering.

Enter the humble houseplant: cleaner of air and giver of interior goals. Back in 2016 a study by NASA revealed that there are loads of houseplants that’ll neutralise those nasty chemicals. So, we’ve gathered some of our faves for you to introduce to your home and office space. Go forth and breath easy.

Debrief - Plants That Clean The Air

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1. Snake Plants

These Instagram-friendly guys give out oxygen over night which means they'd probably make a great addition to your bedroom plant collection. We've got the full low down on how to look after them here on The Debrief too.

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2. Aloe Vera Plants

All hail the loyal succulent. Apparently they're absolute gems when it comes to fighting off a chemical called Benzene. They're also easy to grow and hard to kill which is obviously a huge bonus if you're not very green thumbed.

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3. Spider Plants

Word on the street is that spider plants are one of the easiest to grow. So if you're after something that'll take a real presence and transform the look of your otherwise baron flat, get to know these ones. They're good at getting rid of formaldehyde (a compound that's used in building materials and to make lots of household products).

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4. Peace Lilies

Look no further if you'd prefer to introduce a flowering plant to your humble abode. The peace lily is a great option if you're worried about indoor air quality. Also they apparently help to reduce levels of mould and mildew if that's something you're worried about - they absorbe the little mould spores through their leaves and then it gets circulated down to the roots where they are used as food.

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5. Red Edged Dracaena

Big and effective is the name of the game with this bad boy. They grow pretty slowly but can eventually reach 8ft and are super effective when it comes to removing a variety of pollutants. Pop it anywhere (as long as you've got fairly high ceilings).