Houseplants that Clean Your House

I grew up in a house full of houseplants.  There were so many in fact that I often had to take care of them because my mother didn’t have the time to maintain them.  I didn’t mind then and I don’t mind now especially given the news that houseplants can help you to clean your home.  You read right.

Late last year I learned from a spokesperson for the American Lung Association that a single non-flowering houseplant like the beautiful bamboo plant on the left can purify the air in a 10×10 room in 24 hours.

Just last month I read this article in which I learned that houseplants can dramatically reduce the amount of ozone in indoor spaces.  Ozone is the primary component in air pollution (smog) that gets put off in varying amounts by all sorts of equipment from printers and ultraviolet lights to some air purifiers (how ironic is that?).

If you are worried because you have the stereotypical “brown thumb”, start off with a small bamboo plant.  Most often they are easy to find in simple glass containers that are filled with water.  The only maintenance you have to worry about is keeping the container full of water and changing the water out every month or so. 

It’s a simple, gorgeous and inexpensive way to add beauty and life to your home, help to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, now we find out that there are tangible health benefits to having them around!