Because of the need to conserve energy, homes and offices have been designed to be tighter, more closed off from the outside elements. While this can be good for energy efficiency, it brings with it some unique problems. Buildings, both homes and offices can develop what the NASA Clean Air Study describes as the “sick building syndrome.” The problem is created by the items natural to an indoor space, carpet, paint, furniture. These items release a variety of chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene and since buildings are now “air tight” these toxic agents have nowhere to go.
One of the best ways to clean these “sick buildings” has proven to be the common houseplant. There is a list of best air purifying houseplants (below) but all indoor plants naturally absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Already a huge benefit. We provide house plants the CO2 when we exhale, the house plants absorb the CO2 and release oxygen for us to breathe. That alone is a wonderful symbiotic relationship. Taking it further though, house plants which can easily be recommended by your plant designer or interiorscaper also have been shown to remove the toxic chemicals mentioned above. Chemicals which are naturally released by carpet, paint and furniture.
These days you can buy your houseplants from an interiorscaper or at any hardware store or nursery. You can even rent house plants from a qualified house plant designer/interiorscaper. The goal is to get some of these plants installed into your office or home.
Some of (not all) of the house plants that have been shown to clean the air of some, or all of the toxins listed above are: Spider Plant, Pothos, Peace Lily, Chinese Evergreen, Philodendron, Dracaena, Weeping Fig and many more. We are interiorscapers headquartered in Irvine and serving most of Orange County. We have a plant designer who can recommend the best indoor plants for purifying your indoor air. We offer purchase options, rental service, houseplant maintenance and installation options.