DOWNLOAD FOOD MONSTER: The biggest, baddest, yummiest vegan food app! 10 Best Houseplants for Improving the Air Quality In Your Home Who doesn’t love houseplants? Something about crisp, green, growing leaves seems to brighten up any room. But did you know that houseplants can elevate mood, enhance creativity, promote wellness, and according to studies by NASA, Associated Landscape Contractors of America, and the American Society for Horticultural Science, they also purify indoor air? Our modern day homes are rife with pollutants that can cause a host of health problems. Chemicals from furniture, floor coverings, paints, detergents, air fresheners, and household cleaners can hover inside poorly ventilated homes, as well as those with good airflow. Fortunately, there are many houseplants that will filter these chemicals and clean air naturally, as well as brighten up your living space. Below is a list of the best houseplants for cleaning the toxins out of the air in your home:

This charming evergreen vine grows happily in low or indirect light conditions. The leaves are poisonous, so keep them away from pets and kids. Fortunately, English Ivy enjoys containers and hanging baskets, and brightens up shelves and dark corners beautifully. Studies have shown that English Ivy is effective at removing benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, as well as other allergens such as mold and airborne fecal matter. air duct how often to cleanHang one near your pet’s letterbox, or in the bathroom.clean air testing indiana The beautiful broad green leaves and cupped white blooms of the peace lily is a favorite in the NASA study for removing the three most common pollutants: formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. spray car cleaner wax

Peace lilies will thrive and flower in bright light. They can handle lowlight conditions, though they may not produce blooms. Keep the foliage and flowers clear of dust to maximize their detoxifying power. The plant is poisonous as well, so keep it out of reach of kids and pets. This sturdy palm can grow tall, between 3 to 6 feet, and is an elegant plant in any room. It’s effective at removing the formaldehyde often used in furniture, so arrange it next to chairs, couches, and end tables, in indirect light. During dryer winter months, the bamboo palm can also add a bit of welcome moisture to the air. Ficus is a tropical looking evergreen with twisting roots and bright green, shiny leaves. It’s effective at removing pollutants from furniture and carpets, though it can be a bit temperamental to grow. Keep the leaves clear of dust and water moderately. The sword shaped leaves of the Dracena plant can come in a variety of colors and variations, and can easily reach ceiling height when cared for properly.

This plant is best for ridding the air of chemicals found in lacquers, varnishes, and gasoline.  Also known as a Corn Plant, the Dracena is a dramatic, but fairly easy plant to maintain. You’re probably already familiar with these colorful flowers. Mums are popular in bouquets, but as a potted plant, they are excellent at filtering out chemicals found in glues, paints, detergents, and plastics. Chrysanthemums love bright light, and add a gorgeous pop of color to any room. Pothos are excellent for filtering out formaldehyde and stays green, even if kept in the dark, which makes it ideal for basements and garages.  A proficient grower, Pothos is great in containers and hanging pots where its trailing vines can tumble over the pot’s edge. A common, if not slightly offensive, nickname for this blade-like plant is mother-in-law’s-tongue. It’s awesome at filtering out chemicals found in toilet paper, tissues, and other toiletry products.  It enjoys low light and humid conditions, which makes it ideal for bathrooms.

Often considered a gift plant, since the Spider Plant produces runners with ‘babies’ that can easily be transplanted. Spider Plants filter out chemicals emitted from leather and rubber. This resilient plant takes very little maintenance, and can get by happily without water.  It will tell you it’s thirsty when the green of the long, skinny, striped leaves fade. A little water will perk it right back up! Aloe is an excellent low maintenance plant for sunny locations. It’s great at removing chemicals from paints and chemical cleaning products, and the gel inside the succulent spiked leaves can be used to relieve cuts and burns. Aloe is a slow grower, but it can get quite large. The recommended rule of thumb is one potted houseplant every 100 square feet, but you really can’t have too many houseplants for good air quality. Here’s a list of even more air cleaning plants. Display plants in groups to maximize their filtering power and create a lovely aesthetic. Image source: Merec0 / Wikimedia Commons

Click to read more Improve5 easy house plants that double as air filters There are plenty of reasons to want to incorporate plant life into your apartment—peace of mind, decor scheme, a way to make up for your lack of outdoor space. But house plants also have one very practical application: They can help improve the air quality inside your apartment, and are a lot nicer to look at than a HEPA filter, to boot. While any greenery is better than none, some plants have a greater filtering effect than others. (In fact, NASA has even compiled a list of particularly effective plants for filtering, and suggests having at least one per every 100 square feet of your home.) That in mind, we've rounded options that'll thrive in your apartment (even if you don't get much in the way of natural light), and help you breath a little easier at the same time: Snake PlantBesides impressive properties as a filter for airborne toxins like formaldehyde, snake plants are famous for their easy upkeep, to the point of being nearly unkillable.

(They also will generally run you under $20.)  "They're super low-maintenance, don't need a lot of light, and purify the air around them," a Sprout Home store manager tells us. Just be careful if you're an animal lover: These plants can be toxic to pets, so skip it if you've got a curious dog or cat around the house. (Photo via Home Depot) Boston FernIf New Yorkers can make it past the name, the Boston Fern make a top-notch house plant, and costs between $10 and $30, depending on size. Twig Terrariums co-founder Michelle Inciarrano notes that while they don't produce flowers, these ferns are "tough as nails, a great air purifier, are pet-safe, and quite beautiful." They also come in hanging and potted varieties so you can add some variety while still placing these handy plants all over your apartment. Boston ferns do best with indirect light and lots of humidity, so it helps to place them in a tray with pebbles and water, or mist them regularly.  Peace LilyAnother recommendation from Sprout Home, Peace Lilies require only moderate light, and are a forgiving plant for the amateur gardener to maintain.

"They don't bloom all year long, but they show you clearly if something's going wrong," Sprout's manager tells us. "For instance, if it gets really droopy, that just means it's thirsty, and it will bounce back pretty quickly. Or if the leaves start turning yellow, you may be over-watering or not giving it enough light." On top of that, these plants filter all four of the toxins NASA checks for in its rankings, meaning they also do some heavy lifting when it comes to purifying the air around your abode. PalmsAs a rule, palm plants are some of the plant world's MVPs when it comes to air filtering, and there are four different varietals on NASA's list (the Dwarf Date Palm, the Areca Palm, the Bamboo Palm, and the Broadleaf Lady Palm, to be exact). More generally, our source from Sprout recommends "any type of palm" for apartment-dwellers, as they tend to be low-maintenance and only require low to medium light. Another bonus: Double check the details of your specific type, but palms also tend to be non-toxic for pets.