Right after we had our son eight years ago, my husband bought an air purifier from Sharper Image. He figured we had a new baby, four cats, and lived in a community where they were still building houses, so it might help.
I don’t know that it really did help or not. I still suffered from allergies, but our son doesn’t really seem to have much trouble with it, so who knows. The good news is that there are plants you can have in your home that will purify the air naturally.
One plant that will help clean your air is the Boston fern. It removed formaldehyde as well as benzene and xylene (which are found in car exhaust, so it could be seeping through if you have an attached garage). If you are wondering how you might get formaldehyde in your home, it is found in many household products as well as drapery and adhesives. The only problem is if you don’t have a green thumb (I don’t), a Boston fern may not be the plant for you. It likes humid conditions and if you don’t have those in your house, you will need to mist it.
But fear not, there are more plants that clean the air. For example, palm trees. No, not the huge ones you see outside, but the smaller, indoor versions. And, the good news is they are easier to care for. The Dwarf date palm, the bamboo palm, the Areca palm, and the lady palm all help remove indoor pollutants. NASA name the Areca palm the top air purifier and MetaEfficient called it “the most efficient air humidifier.” Better yet, palms like a cool place, so you will also be green by keep the thermostat down during the winter. We won’t discuss the issues you might suffer during the hot summer months.
NASA also liked the Dracaena, nicknamed the Janet Craig, because that is the name of the cultivar. This plant is super easy to grow and care for – requiring little fuss (my kind of plant!). It doesn’t care if it has sunlight or not and will also remove formaldehyde from the air.