Tired of stuffy air and pollutants? Forget those pricey gadgets! We’ve got a natural solution: indoor plants! These beauties do more than just look pretty; they’re air-cleaning superheroes. 

Cheaper than air filters and way more stylish, they’re a must-have for allergy sufferers, asthmatics and smokers. So grab a few cleansing plants from our list, let the magic happen and enjoy cleaner air. 

Here are 10 air-purifying plants for your home:

• Snake Plant – Also known as “Mother-in-law’s Tongue” (weird, right?), this is an amazing plant that’s really good at getting rid of bad stuff in the air, like formaldehyde (found in household products like paint, adhesives and certain fabrics. Also caused by cigarette smoke and gas stoves) and benzene (which can be present in cigarette smoke, paint and glues). 

Too much exposure to formaldehyde can irritate your eyes, nose, throat; while inhalation of benzene fumes causes headaches, dizziness, nausea. 

• Pothos – Known for its heart-shaped leaves with golden edges, pothos is hardy, especially during winter when it has to survive in low light and cold temperatures. Add it to your home and you can be assured it will remove formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from the air. A perfect air filter.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is found in homes with attached garages and fuel-burning appliances such as fireplaces, gas stoves and ovens, generators, power tools and lawn equipment, and cigarette smoke. Over exposure can lead to CO poisoning. 

• Aloe Vera – Apart from its renowned healing properties, aloe vera is an excellent air-purifying plant that gets rid of chemicals often found in things like furniture, cleaning products and even some fabrics. And taking care of an aloe is a breeze! 
• Peace Lily – With its elegant white flowers, the peace lily packs a punch by removing smelly chemicals found in cleaning products, cigarette smoke and paint. It also adds a touch of serenity to your space.

For more peace lily care, read this blog: Indoor Plants: Caring for Your Peace Lily

• Palms – The palm family is a popular choice for indoor plants, and it’s easy to understand why: these plants are hardy and very easy to grow. An added benefit is that they also remove formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide from the air, which is particularly useful if someone in your house smokes, making palms some of the best air-purifying house plants

For more on palms, read this blog: How to Care for Your Indoor Palms

• Ferns – The hardiness of ferns is evident in the fact that they actually date back to prehistoric times. They are known for their feathery leaves, known as fronds. These fronds are particularly good at filtering xylene and toluene – which are found in many paints, glues and nail polishes – from the air. So make sure you add a maidenhair fern or Boston fern to your home today.
• Song of India – Also known as Dracaena reflexa, this plant has attractive stripy green, lime and yellow leaves. It grows well in both high and low light and removes formaldehyde, toluene and xylene from the air.
• Philodendrons – These are popular indoor plants that are easy to care for and require minimum hassle. In return, they will remove xylene from the air, allowing you to breathe more easily.
• Spider plant – This low-maintenance plant is ‘the GOAT’ at purifying the air by targeting harmful compounds like carbon monoxide and xylene. Its cascading foliage adds a touch of greenery to any space.
• Anthuriums – These are well known for their exotic, giant, glossy flowers, but it’s the dark green leaves which suck up formaldehyde, toluene, xylene and ammonia – found in cleaning products. Buy one for your office and put it close to a printer where it can remove harmful chemicals from the air.