And the world’s best air fresheners are…..

Quell Surprise – it’s plants, yes the humble houseplant can purify the air in your home!

Now we have all known for years that putting plants in the house is a good idea but it’s not just because they look pretty; plants purify the air we all breathe. These humble houseplants have been scientifically proven to act as the best air fresheners you can get because they remove and absorb many of the toxins from the air in our homes.  So it is important to keep your houseplants healthy too, so they purify the air as efficiently as possible.

Scientists in Mayalsia have been testing which plants absorb most Carbon Dioxide and this one here is the best. It is called Dieffenbachia, but most of you will know it more commonly as the Dumb Cane plant, which is a little harsh as it’s not quite as ‘dumb’ as we think!

Imagine if every school classroom, office desk and home had a pot of dieffenbachia popped in a corner – it’s such a simple way to have free cleaner air.

Other air purifying plants are….

Philodendron – good at absorbing noxious chemicals from the air

Parlour Palms – can absorb cancer causing chemicals from the home

Dracaena – is good at absorbing noxious chemicals AND cigarette smoke!

Spider Plants – can absorb the silent killer gas Carbon Monoxide

and finally there are some flowering plants that can absorb nasty household chemicals too – the outright winner is …

Gerbera – these can absorb all noxious chemicals from the air in you home…

So next time you pop into the supermarket, garden centre or your local nursery you’ll know which air fresheners (sorry) houseplants to buy!

Other green air fresheners are Aloe Vera, Palms, Bamboo Reed palm, Rubber plant, Ivy Weeping figs fern and the Peace lily.

Just as a point to note, plants did not evolve to grow in houses, so their are no real ‘houseplants’ it’s just we can’t grow most of these outside. The biggest killer of indoor plants though is us, we can either kill with kindness or neglect. As a general rule of thumb when deciding where to pop your plant anywhere near a radiator is not usually a good idea!

How to stop your indoor plants dying

Lastly, if you prefer flowers in the house and still want to have lovely clean air, then add some Chysanthemums plants in too – they love absorbing noxious chemicals

All images: Wikimedia unless stated

read the research paper or read the EcoWatch article