There has been much information lately about the toxicity of the air inside our homes. It has been proven that because of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) leaching out of carpet, furniture, paints, varnishes and cleaning products, the air quality inside is between two to five times more poisonous than outside. 

So how can we combat this?

We can start by opening the windows and allowing ‘fresh’ air to come in. But what if you live in a very cold or very hot climate? Plants are the answer. Indoor plants can filter some of the toxic VOCs out of the air. Great plants for this, according to a study undertaken by NASA include (but are not limited to):

• English Ivy
• Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
• Golden pothos or Devil's ivy (Scindapsus aures or Epipremnum aureum)
• Peace lily (Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa')
• Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)
• Bamboo palm or reed palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii)
• Snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii')
• Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron oxycardium, syn.
• Philodendron cordatum)
• Selloum philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum, syn.
• Philodendron selloum)

These plants can help filter out chemicals such as benzene and toluene and reduce carbon dioxide levels. It is also believed plants can increase air humidity (great when heaters or air-conditioning dries out the air) and decrease amounts of airborne microbes and mould. It’s great to know there’s an easy, cheap and aesthetically pleasing solution to this poisonous problem. So what are you waiting for – nursery here I come.

Click here if you're interested in reading teh study on the benefits of indoor plants by NASA