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It’s summertime and most of us are spending more time outdoors. There are some places however that are way too hot for outdoor activities, so you’re planning to be inside for at least 2 months.
I’m all for the luxury of air conditioning, but did you know that even in the most polluted cities in the U.S. outdoor air is cleaner than the air inside your home?
It’s true- our homes are full of furniture, carpet, cleaning products, personal care items, paint and other things that contribute to polluted air.

My favorite way to remedy the situation is by filling my home with plants. In fact, NASA released a study showing how common house plants remove harmful gases from the air you and your children are breathing.  Plants are living air purifiers, and add beauty to any room!

Environmental Scientist Bill Wolverton released a book based on his findings for NASA called How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office.  In it he explains how plants emit water vapor that creates a pumping action to pull contaminated air down around a plant’s roots, where it is then converted into food for the plant. (How cool!) He then goes on to explain which plants and varieties remove the most toxins, as well as rates each plant for the level of maintenance it requires.
Want a few suggestions for plants that remove the most benzene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from your home? Here are the top 10:

• Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifritzii)
• Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestmu)
• English ivy (Hedera helix)
• Gerber daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
• Janet Craig (Dracaena)
• Marginata (Dracaena marginata)
• Mass cane/corn plant (Dracaena massangeana)
• Mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria laurentii)
• Potted mum (Chrysantheium morifolium)
• Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)