Indoor air quality and air duct cleaning: what you don’t know can hurt you, part 4

This post is the fourth in a multi part series on indoor air quality and how air duct cleaning can help. If you haven’t read parts 1, 2, and 3 yet, I recommend you do before continuing.

How can we boost indoor air quality? (continued)

Let’s look at some of the best plants for boosting indoor air quality – that almost anyone can grow:

• English Ivy – a common house plant choice because of its beauty, English Ivy also helps remove indoor pollutants. It can grow in a variety of lighting conditions, and can live for several years.
• Bamboo Palm – well suited for areas with indirect sun or in mild shade, the Bamboo Palm also removes benzines, toluenes, and formaldehyde from indoor air.
• Gerbera Daisy – this colorful annual is often selected for its appearance, but it also helps remove benzine from the air. However, it prefers warmer temperatures of 75 degrees or more, so it needs a nice, toasty spot.
• Areca palm – in NASA testing, this Areca Palm removed more Xylene and Toluene than any other plant. (2) It does well in a variety of indoor conditions, but does prefer more humidity than most of us have in our homes in New Mexico. If the tips of the leaves start to go brown, mist the plant periodically to keep it moist.
• Rubber plant – a classic favorite indoor plant, rubber trees are also great at scrubbing formaldehyde from indoor air.
• Boston fern – the Boston Fern took first place in NASA’s tests at removing formaldehyde from the air. It does require quite a bit of moisture, however, so it should be misted frequently. It is also prone to being colonized by spider mites – a soap solution sprayed onto the plant will dead with this problem.

Keep your indoor air quality top notch.

Since modern Americans spend around 90% of our time indoors, it’s worth putting some serious thought and effort into indoor air quality. (3) Once you’ve hit the major areas – carpet and upholstery cleaning – air duct cleaning is a good next step. To minimize the future buildup of contaminants that ruin IAQ, consider adding a few house plants, and breathe easy!

Sources cited:

1. https://learn.eartheasy.com/articles/the-top-10-plants-for-removing-indoor-toxins/
2. https://www.nature.com/articles/7500165
3. https://www.hgtv.com/remodel/interior-remodel/10-best-plants-for-cleaning-indoor-air-pictures
4. https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/10-shocking-facts-indoor-air-quality-iaq/