Air pollution may be a major concern for you, especially when you live in a city that is notorious for its high levels of smog like Los Angeles. Because of this, living in Southern California can wreak havoc on your indoor air quality.
However, there are ways to greatly improve the indoor air quality of your home. An easy way to do this is by using plants that filter toxins such as formaldehyde and benzene. These two toxins are commonplace in many homes and can be a source of respiratory irritation and allergies? for many people.
To protect your home from common toxins, try putting a few plants around the house. Here are a just a few of the many plants that have the ability to filter toxins and improve your indoor air quality.
- Aloe Vera: Most commonly known for its ability to soothe skin irritations such as sunburns, aloe vera also filters out benzene and formaldehyde. It’s easy to care for and does well in areas with lots of sunlight.
- Spider Plant: The spider plant is one of the most resilient houseplants, making it a perfect choice for those who don’t have a green thumb. It filters out several different toxins including xylene, commonly found in printing, rubber and leather goods. It also filters out formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and benzene.
- Gerber Daisy: For those who enjoy flowering plants, the Gerber Daisy is the perfect choice. But it does require a lot of light. It’s best at filtering out trichloroethylene, which is typically found in dry cleaning, and benzene, typically found in inks, glues, detergent and plastics.
- Chrysanthemum: Another flowering plant with showy flowers, the Chrysanthemum is best at filtering out benzene. Although a bit more difficult to care for, putting a chrysanthemum in direct sunlight will keep it healthy and encourage buds to bloom.
- Red-Edged Dracaena: The red trim around the edges of its green leaves really make this hardworking plant pop. It’s best for filtering formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and xylene.
For more information on how to improve your indoor air quality, contact the experts at Around the Clock.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about houseplants and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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