Indoor Plants that Remove Toxins: Surprising Clean Air Research You Should Know
Here’s the thing about air pollution: most of it isn’t outside. EPA studies have measured about a dozen common organic pollutants at levels 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than out, whether the house sits on a quiet rural road or next to a factory. And since most of us spend roughly 90 percent of our time indoors, the air in your living room matters more than the air on your commute. Fumes from furniture, paint, plywood, and fabric all add up. That’s where houseplants come in, though there’s a catch we’ll get to in a minute.
Why You Need Toxin Reducing Indoor Plants
NASA conducted a study involving houseplants to observe how they affect indoor air quality in enclosed spaces. They called it the Clean Air Study. Based from this study, there are types of indoor houseplants that can purify the air and greatly improve the quality of it. It has been confirmed that fumes from what we use inside the house greatly affect our health.
Indoor air pollution causes migraines, eye irritation, nausea, allergies, dizziness, and organ failure. Trichloroethylene fumes come from inks, paints, lacquers, varnishes, adhesives and paint removers. It causes dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting.
Another common toxic fume is formaldehyde. We get this toxic fume from paper bags, waxed paper, facial towels, table napkins, plywood, and synthetic fabric. Common side effects include nose irritation, mouth and throat irritation, and swelling of the lungs and larynx.
Benzene is commonly found in plastics, resins, synthetic fibers, dyes, detergents, pesticides, tobacco smoke, and vehicle exhausts. It causes eye irritation, headache, dizziness, drowsiness and confusion.
Xylene can be found in paint, tobacco smoke, leather and paint products, and vehicle exhausts. It has been shown to cause mouth and throat irritation, dizziness, headache, confusion, heart problems, liver and kidney damage to name a few.
What Newer Research Says
The NASA study is real, but it happened in sealed lab chambers. A contained box has little in common with your living room, and that turns out to matter a lot. In 2019, engineers at Drexel University reviewed 30 years of research, including NASA’s, and published the results in a peer reviewed journal. Their finding: in a real home, normal ventilation clears volatile compounds much faster than plants can absorb them. By their math, you’d need hundreds of plants per square meter of floor space to rival what a couple of open windows already do.
So skip the old rule about one plant per 100 square feet. Keep the plants because they add humidity, lift your mood, and make a room feel finished. Just let your windows and vents do the heavy lifting on air quality.
Types of Indoor Plants That Help Remove Toxins
With these in mind, here are indoor houseplants that have scientific studies confirming their ability to purify the air.
If you just want the short version, here’s how the five plants compare before we get into the details.
| Plant | Toxins It Targets | Pet Safety | Light | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aloe | Formaldehyde, carbon monoxide | Toxic to cats and dogs | Bright, direct | Every 2 to 3 weeks |
| Spider Plant | Formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, benzene | Non toxic | Low to moderate | Weekly |
| English Ivy | Airborne mold, benzene | Toxic to cats, dogs, horses | Bright, indirect | When soil dries |
| Peace Lily | Benzene, trichloroethylene, formaldehyde | Toxic to cats and dogs | Shade to low light | Weekly |
| Snake Plant | 4 of 5 tested toxins | Toxic to cats and dogs | Almost any light | Every 2 to 4 weeks |
Aloe
Aloe has over 500 different species of flowering succulent plants. Its most popular one is aloe Vera or “true aloe” which is used for pharmaceutical purposes. It is also a common ingredient for hair products because of its ability to nourish the scalp and hair.
Aloe is native to Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, and the islands on the Indian Ocean. It has been observed that aloe increases oxygen levels when placed indoors. It absorbs toxic fumes like formaldehyde, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Aloe was part of NASA’s original testing, where it helped absorb formaldehyde from chamber air.
Spider Plant
The spider plant is known by other names such as airplane plant, St. Bernard’s lily, spider lily, ribbon plant, and hen and chickens. It is a flowering perennial plant that is native to southern Africa. It is an extremely popular houseplant because it is easy to grow and needs minimal sunlight. It absorbs toxins like formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and benzene.
English Ivy
The English Ivy is also known as the common ivy or the European ivy. It is a flowering plant that is native to Europe and western Asia. It is a clinging evergreen vine that can usually be found on walls, fences, and trees. It is now cultivated as an ornamental plant.
The extracts of this plant are used for medicinal purposes specifically for cough. English ivy has also been studied for reducing airborne mold spores in small enclosed spaces, though the effect in a full sized room is much smaller.
One warning before you bring one home: the ASPCA lists English ivy as toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. Chewing the leaves can cause vomiting, stomach pain, and drooling, and the foliage is actually more toxic than the berries. Hang it well out of reach.
Peace Lily
There are over 40 species of this flowering plant. Peace lily is native to the Americas and Southeast Asia. It lives best in shady places which makes it an excellent indoor houseplant. It only needs water once a week to make sure the soil is moist. It filters out benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde.
Pet owners, take note: the ASPCA lists peace lily as toxic to cats and dogs. The leaves contain insoluble calcium oxalates, which cause mouth irritation, drooling, and vomiting if chewed. Keep it on a shelf your pets can’t reach.
Snake Plant
This plant is known for its other names such as mother-in-law’s tongue and viper’s bowstring hemp. It is a species of flowering plant that is native to West Africa. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant. Based on NASA’s Clean Air Study, the snake plant successfully removes 4 out of 5 toxins in the air.
Like most of this list, the snake plant isn’t pet friendly. The ASPCA lists it as toxic to cats and dogs thanks to saponins, which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If a pet chews any plant on this page, call your vet or the ASPCA poison hotline at 888 426 4435.
Do air purifying plants really work?
In sealed lab chambers, yes. In a real home, not so much. A 2019 Drexel University review found that normal ventilation clears pollutants far faster than plants can. Enjoy plants for the humidity, the mood boost, and the way they finish a room, and open a window for the air.
Which air purifying plant is safest for pets?
Of the plants here, the spider plant is the safe pick. English ivy, peace lily, and snake plant are all on the ASPCA’s toxic list for cats and dogs, so placement matters if you have animals at home.
How many plants do I need?
The old NASA era advice was one plant per 100 square feet. Newer research suggests no realistic number of plants replaces ventilation, so put plants where you’ll actually enjoy them instead of counting per square foot.
If you enjoyed this article and want more, check out our page about growing air plants here.
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