Houseplants — green, pretty and the perfect decoration. Everyone loves a houseplant, especially if they make your living room feel like a tropical paradise. While they look great, could there be more to houseplants than meets the eye? Do houseplants improve air quality? Let's dive into the science and myths around house plants to help you get cleaner, healthier air at home. 

What Is Indoor Air Quality?

In the industry, we use indoor air quality (IAQ) to measure how clean your air is. The cleaner the air, the healthier and safer it is to breathe in all the time. The indoor air quality drops when pollutants and particles buildup, potentially causing health issues and making your home less comfortable. While you can't see indoor air quality, your home's air is often more polluted than you might think. 

Your day-to-day routine takes you across the house. As you and your pets or family move around, dust, dirt and dander fall off, filling the air and carpets. Your cleaning products and furniture might also release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. Smoke from cooking or candles also sends out particles. All of these factors work together to lower your indoor air quality.

While it might seem impossible to fight off all these attackers, the right strategies can dramatically boost your indoor air quality to make your home healthier and more comfortable. 

Do Houseplants Improve Air Quality?

You've probably heard the claim that houseplants can purify the air. While an old NASA study started this claim, current research shows otherwise. Yes, in a sealed vacuum, plants can potentially remove toxins — but your house is not a sealed chamber. 

Plants can absorb some pollutants, and they release oxygen through their leaves. However, the impact is minimal when you compare one plant to your entire household and daily activities. To actually make a significant dent in the air quality, you would need a literal forest indoors — not exactly practical for most homeowners. But that doesn't mean you should toss your greenery. Let's give houseplants some credit. While they won't single-handedly solve your air issues, they can contribute in small ways. Adding plants to your home can raise the overall humidity, helping prevent dry respiratory systems during cold winters. Beyond air quality, being able to see and live among plants can have a positive effect on your mental health. Being stuck in cold spaces, removed from nature all day, isn't great for your well-being. Humans love connecting with nature and bringing plants inside lets you get back to your roots. 

Overall, combining plants and indoor air quality is kind of a losing battle. If you really want to commit to the plants-as-purifiers lifestyle, you'll need to brush off your green thumb. You'll need dozens of plants in each room to dent the carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide in your air. Lots of plants means more oxygen in the environment and a happier household. Just remember that all the ventilation and furniture are likely going to cancel out any noticeable plant filtration effects. 

Air Purifiers: A Vital Partner for Enhanced Indoor Air Quality

When it comes to indoor air quality, air purifiers are the real heroes. These devices are engineered to tackle airborne pollutants, removing them from the air and actually giving you a cleaner home. If you're serious about improving indoor air quality, you need an air purifier.

How Do Air Purifiers Work?

Air purifiers pull air from the room and move it through a heavy-duty filter. The filter traps dust, pollen, dander and other pollutants. Once the air is clean, a fan sends it back into the room. Say goodbye to VOCs, smoke and irritants. Some advanced models even use ultraviolet (UV) lights to kill bacteria and viruses floating through the air. 

Houseplants work slowly and require a jungle-sized collection to do any real work. Air purifiers are built to handle the heavy lifting of cleaning your air without any inefficiency. 

Why Should You Use an Air Purifier?

Air purifiers are more than just fancy gadgets — they're a huge benefit for anyone with allergies or respiratory conditions. Indoor air pollution can irritate your respiratory system and cause dizziness, fatigue or other health issues. Whether you have a respiratory condition or not, purifiers can make it much easier to relax at home. Here's why they're worth it for homeowners:

1. Improved health: If anyone in your household has allergies or asthma, air purifiers are a game-changer. By capturing irritants like pollen, mold spores and pet dander, purifiers can reduce symptoms and make your living space healthier for everyone.
2. Pollutant protection: Air purifiers remove pollutants that can harm your health. Breathing in fine dust and VOCs all the time can lead to headaches, fatigue and other health issues.
3. Enhanced comfort: Health aside, air purifiers make your home more comfortable. They catch odors and dander, clearing the way for easier breathing. Your home will smell and feel fresher. 

What Are the Types of Air Purifiers?

There are multiple types of air purification. Combine purifiers and filters to create a more effective system, or pick one that addresses your specific concerns:

• Bladeless purifiers: These portable purifiers go in each room. They grab dander, pollen and smoke so that you can relax. Set air purifiers up in your most-used rooms to capture the worst of the particles.
• Activated carbon filters: If you're more concerned about odors or chemical fumes, look for filters and purifiers with activated carbon. These filters are great at trapping gases and VOCs, freshening up your space.
• HEPA filters: High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are the gold standard in particle trapping. They capture particles down to 3 microns, wiping out your air's impurities.
• UV light purifiers: UV light purifiers are a great choice for households concerned about mold, bacteria and viruses. The UV light disinfects the air it contacts, minimizing contaminants.