The best greenery for healthy air

Houseplants not only enhance the visual appeal of a room, they also improve the indoor climate by cleaning and humidifying the air.

Our modern indoor society spends the vast majority of its time indoors. Especially in offices, the air is often dry, low in oxygen, and high in pollutants. Furniture and carpets, wall paints, and cleaning products emit harmful chemicals. Furthermore, dry air produces a lot of dust, to which pathogens can attach themselves. Not a pleasant thought, but this is where the green plant police come to the rescue.

Scientific studies have shown that ivy, peace lilies, monstera, dragon trees, spider plants, parlor palms, snake plants, flag figs, weeping figs, and ferns, in particular, bind pollutants such as formaldehyde and benzene from the air. They also improve air humidity, as these plants release up to 97 percent of the water used for watering into the surrounding air. In more humid air, dust particles become heavier and settle. The result: cleaner air.

Three to six large plants are sufficient to achieve an ideal humidity level of 45 to 55 percent in a 30-square-meter room. Plants with high water requirements and large or many small leaves can reduce air pollutants by up to 70 percent. To help them do their job, their leaves should be dusted regularly.

Plants for the bedroom

Even the bedroom door doesn't have to be the only place where greenery thrives. While photosynthesis ceases at night, as most plants need light to convert carbon dioxide from the air into oxygen, those who only have a few plants scattered around the room don't need to worry about them suffocating them.

There are also plant species that make good sleep companions, as they even release oxygen in the dark. These include the thorny aloe vera and the snake plant, whose leaves also filter household toxins such as formaldehyde from the air.

Ivy is a very effective air purifier. It binds up to 94 percent of all pollutants from the air and is particularly effective at removing mold spores. But be careful: its leaves are poisonous! Peace lilies increase humidity in the room and help people with dry mucous membranes sleep better at night.