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Houseplants purifying your air
- Jan 11, 2010 at 12:03 PM
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- Comments (6) Total Views (387) Everyone can see this journal post.
I have taken up a new hobby this year - indoor gardening. I am not known for having either a green thumb or much knowledge on plants, so this new hobby has a steep learning curve for me. Despite the difficulty I expect, I am sure to keep on track with this hobby because I have a very important reason to be successful at this - the health of my family.
I recently started a complete transition to a more natural lifestyle. The current focus in on my personal care products, and I am sharing this experience through my weekly blog on the Healthy Living Daily Buzz. While I am focusing on personal care products, I am also dabbling in naturalizing the other areas of my life, including food, water, cleaning supplies, and air. During this transition, cost is a huge factor, since I have limited monetary resources and all changes need to be sustainable.
I have found a good way to economically clean your air is to have a good number of houseplants doing the work for you. Some plants have better air purification qualities than others; much of this data came from studies NASA did in the 1980s (they wanted to know how to purify air in their spacecraft). You can view some lists at the following links. Some of the most popular houseplants are also some of the best air-cleaners: pothos, philodendron, snake plants, english ivy, and spider plants.
Wolverton Report (another summary of some NASA data)
A moth ago I had only 3 plants at work and 3 at home. I made a huge effort to gain alot of clippings from friends and other resources, as well as having purchased a few plants from the local garden center. Although many of the plants I have now are babies, I have about 20 at work and 20 at home! I have many varities, including the good cleaners mentioned above. I also have a goldfish plant, some dwark umbrella trees and a jade. I am really excited to get these plants large enough to have a big impact on the air quality inside my home. I plan to gain more cuttings from some friends I haven't asked yet. I am going to increase the number of plants in my home until my husband tells me to stop! I have seen one reference to the number of plants needed to purify your indoor air (The Wolverton Report): roughly 15 spider plats in an 1800 square foot home.
What plants do you have in your home? Which is your favorite? Are you concerned about the quality of your indoor air?
Tonya
The Science Spot (for moms)
Comments:
every little bit helps!
Yes I am. The garden center let me take spider plant babies instead of buying the entire plant. And then I have all kinds of others like Ivy..I clip them all the time and make others. I am also growing an indoor winter garden grown from seeds. Green beans, Hibiscus, basil, green onion, cantelope, lavendar, All kinds of stuff. How nice to have plants at work!
I Love & Adore houseplants! I wish I had more! I'm getting Dizzy, sick & what not right now! DH used some spray paint in my house! Its got me Sick!! I'll have migraines and my asthma. But I love plants! I have over one Dozen burros tails. I have ivy's, spiders, A Norfolk island pine and many Christmas cactus Etc.. I love all they are! I wish I had some Southern exposure windows and more room! Good for you! Hope you get all you want! When my DDs were growing up I never had less then 100 in my home! Less now!! Have Fun!!
one hundred!!! wow angellinda. WOW. I am sure my dh would stop me before I got to a hundred, lol.
That's awesome! I just found out the Peace Lily my sister has been painstakingly keeping alive for the last three year (and is now THRIVING) is really good for our air! Thanks! =D
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I hadn't thought about them cleaning the air but I bring my geraniums in and do cuttings from them to put outside in the spring and summer. I have 3 mature plants and when I'm finished with the cuttings, there will be at least 4 more pots filled. Not sure that they will have much impact but I like the green. :)
- Nonoluna
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