These are the two little plants in our bedroom that we count on to purify our bedroom air.
The extent to which they can clean our air is unknown but what we do know is that new infrastructure and construction sites are rising up all over the city, road maintenance is a regular occurrence, and smog produced by our daily usage of gasoline, diesel, natural gas, and coal, are major contributors to Toronto’s poor air quality and pollution.
North Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. We would except that this would decrease our exposure to air bound toxins. However, air quality indoors is often times just as, if not more, toxic! There are at least 300 known toxic substances found indoors ranging from insulation, sealants, paints, to household cleaners, detergents, and even carpet. Three most common air pollutants found indoors are formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. Poor indoor air quality often results to a condition called Sick Building Syndrome which includes symptoms such as allergies, asthma, eye, nose and throat irritations, headaches, fatigue, sinus and respiratory congestion.
In the 1970s, NASA conducted many studies in search for solutions to maintain air quality inside confined spaces (e.g. space pods). Results showed that plants, through the process of photosynthesis, can break down contaminants and greatly reduce indoor air pollutants!
It is recommended to have one mid-sized houseplant per 100 square feet in your home or office.
Here is a list of the top plants that will help to naturally detoxify indoor air for cleaner breathing:
Aloe
Apothos
Bamboo Palm
Chinese Evergreen
English Ivy
Gerbera Daisy
Janet Craig
Marginata
Mass cane/Corn Plant
Mother-in-Law’s Tongue
Pot Mum
Peace Lily
Warneckii
In addition to air purification and detoxification, plants can add many additional benefits:
- Studies have found that plants can help to reduce stress (lowers blood pressure and heart rate).
- Plants can help with productivity and creativity as they allow us to relax and focus
- Plants can keep the air in our homes from getting too dry by increasing humidity
- Plants aid in reducing noise - add a few by your windows to reduce noise from outside
Add a few plants to your home and give them some TLC. They offer you so much in return!
Give a plant a home today!
If you need further assistance or want to purchase air-purifying houseplants, contact Paul (he is super knowledgeable and very, very nice!) at Bloom The Flower Company (1009 Yonge Street, at Crescent Road), 416.324.9900.
