After the holidays is a great time to bring in some new houseplants. For one, the house may look a little bare when the Christmas tree and the other decorations come down.
Another great reason for bringing in houseplants in the winter is that certain varieties can do a great job of clearing the air. When the house is tightened down for winter, having houseplants that sweeten the air is a definite plus. In fact, NASA has been doing research on houseplants that might be used to purify air in space.
Of course, if you aren’t careful, houseplants can lead to more air problems then they solve. Soil can turn moldy or breed other fungus or bacteria. There is a simple solution to this problem, though. Choose non-porous containers for your house plants (clay can sometimes grow mold) and cover the soil with a one-inch layer of pebbles or gravel. This cuts down the risk of that mold and bacteria.
Of course, there are some houseplants that work better than others in sweetening and cleaning the air in your home. The best ones are as follows:
Rubber Plants
Rubber plants are great for rooms that don’t get a lot of sunlight. Our family room, for example is devoid of direct sun, so a rubber plant is idea for this space. This may be especially true for most rooms in the middle of winter, anyway.
Rubber plants are really good at filtering out formaldehyde, a chemical that is used in everything from flooring to laminate countertops to furniture.
Palm Plants
Bamboo is a type of palm plant that may find a happy place in your home. The really great thing about palm plants is that they release a lot of moisture into the air. Think of them as little natural humidifiers. This is really great in the winter time when the air is dry and throats and skin can suffer. Palm plants are also one of the top plants for removing all sorts of air born toxins.