Clean Your Air with Indoor Plants
When you think of cleaning your home or other personal space, you may think of vacuuming, dusting or wiping up spills. But did you know that one of the easiest and fastest ways to freshen up a room is inexpensive, "green" and can be found at your Giant Eagle® Floral Department?
Fresh-air foliage: try one of these plants in your home
- Ivy — This pretty, decorative plant features deep green leaves attached to vines capable of growing quite tall. Ivy looks lovely alone or as an accent to your favorite potted plant. Different species of ivy require different lighting conditions.
- Pothos — Nicknamed "devil's ivy," this low-maintenance plant features vibrant, oval-shaped green leaves growing on large vines. While in the wild, pothos can grow to heights of 40 feet, indoors, pothos typically grows no taller than an average adult male. Add a basket of pothos to your home as a stand-alone or accent piece.
- Palms — Featuring large, pointy, feathered leaves, house palms may remind you of your favorite vacation spot. Try an indoor palm in your favorite relaxation room to add a bit of soothing tropical flavor. House palms thrive best in mildly humid rooms.
- Ferns — These plants feature vibrant-green, feathery leaves, and look as stunning alone as they do mixed with other foliage. Ferns thrive in lower light, so they're well suited to darker rooms or areas away from windows.
- Dieffenbachia — This tropical plant brightens up a room with its broad, showy, green-and-white patterned leaves. Keep your dieffenbachia near a window and pot it in fertilized soil, and you'll enjoy its lush beauty through the seasons.
- Spathiphyllum — This unique, flowering plant features large green leaves and distinctive flowers with one large petal and a broad, spiny stalk. Spathiphyllum is well-known for being an indoor air power-cleaner and thrives in low light with infrequent watering.
- Philodendron — This tropical group of flowering plants comes in many different sizes, shapes, and styles. Many species of philodendron can grow to vast heights, and other species grow as vines. Show your philodendrons TLC by watering them once a week, keeping them in a warm room and growing them in filtered light, preferably near a window.
- Aglaonema — These lush, tropical plants, sometimes nicknamed "Chinese Evergreens," feature pretty, striped leaves, and thrive quite well indoors. They prefer lower light, warmer temperatures and moist soil.
- Bamboo — Whether you choose a tall, graceful bamboo plant with slim, sturdy stalks and graceful leaves or a small, grass-like bamboo potted arrangement, you'll add grace and elegance to your home with this easy-to-care-for family of plants. Growing conditions vary — but choose your bamboo wisely, as these are some of the fastest-growing plants in the world!
Product selection and size varies based on season and store. Visit your local Giant Eagle® Floral Department for details.
Note: Many house plants are toxic when ingested. Reactions can range from mild swelling of the lips and tongue, to difficulty breathing, to nausea and vomiting, to effects on the body's internal organs. Keep all house plants out of the reach of young children and pets, and consult your physician and veterinarian for more information on plant toxicity.
Indoor plants make air cleaner, fresher and easier to breathe! Here's how:
- Plants improve air quality through their natural filtering ability. By absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, they make the indoor air that you breathe healthier — naturally!
- Plants make natural humidifiers for all seasons. In the warmer months, running the air conditioner removes moisture from the air. In the cooler months, air is naturally dryer. Plants help add moisture back into the air, making it easier for you to breathe.
- Plants remove airborne chemicals. They're capable of absorbing up to 87% of common volatile organic compounds like ammonia, formaldehyde and benzene. That's some powerful cleaning ability!
- Some indoor plants clean the air every 24 hours! By adding several house plants to a room, you'll help ensure cleaner air — and brighten up your home in the process.
The Best Air-Purifying Plants
Whether it's old or new, your home could be harboring invisible, unhealthy toxins. These chemical compounds, which can adversely affect health, are found in emissions from paint, plastics, carpet, cleaning solutions, and numerous building materials.
Three major offenders found in the home include:
- Formaldehyde (carpet, upholstery, glues, paint, and more)
- Benzene (plastics, synthetic fibers, lubricants, rubber, pesticides, and more)
- Trichloroethylene (paint removers, rug cleaning solution, adhesives, and more)
Lucky for us, nature has a way of keeping itself clean. There are many powerful air-cleaning plants — Boston fern, English ivy, spider plant, rubber plant, and several palms — that naturally remove the above-mentioned pollutants from the air, as well as other common indoor toxins such as xylene, toluene, ammonia, acetone, and more. We picked five of our favorites and offer tips on how to keep them in top working condition.
Tip: In a 2,000 square foot house, bring in 15 to 20 plants, each in pots measuring six inches or larger. Rather than scattering single plants, create group displays in each room for an attractive appearance and maximum air quality. Adjust your display size and arrangement accordingly to suit the size of your home. Before purchasing, ask your florist which plants, if ingested, could be harmful to pets.
Feel happier, enjoy better health and be more productive. Stop by the Giant Eagle® Floral Department and treat yourself to a new house plant today.
