Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air

Last Updated on November 29, 2023

Trying to create a healthy home isn’t all hard work! Some of it, like making your own homemade cleaners and bringing in air purifying plants, is actually fun. Here’s why to add some of the best plants for cleaning indoor air to your home, stat.

Did you know indoor air tends to be 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air? Hopefully, some of the steps you’ve taken to make greener choices means your air is better than most, but even the greenest among us tend to have objects in our home that can contribute to indoor air pollution.

As you work to create a healthy home for your family, consider putting these air purifying house plants to work clearing the air of compounds you’re better off not breathing.

Indoor air pollution comes from all sorts of surprising sources, like electronics, home furnishings, building materials, cleaning products and more. And poor indoor air quality can have all sorts of unpleasant health effects, ranging from respiratory irritation and asthma to increased cancer risk.

But most of us, even if we’ve worked to keep dangerous compounds out of our home, still have pollutants in the air from things like offgassing furniture and electronics. Best to remove what we can.

Enter air purifying houseplants!

Numerous plants have been shown to remove compounds like VOCs, benzene, and formaldehyde, which we’d rather not have our families breathe, right?

In fact, these plants’ power to purify indoor air is so powerful that NASA evaluated them for cleaning air in the space station. Some of their top picks are listed below.

It’s important to note that the studies of plants’ abilities to remove compounds from the air happen in laboratory settings, and not in homes, where lower light levels reduce the process of photosynthesis considerably.

Nonetheless, the benefit of indoor plants go beyond cleaner air — numerous studies have found that people are healthier and happier when in contact with nature. Indoor plants have been shown to alleviate stress, speed healing, and improve mood. Most of us spend up to 90% of our time indoors, so bringing some plant life in may be a wise move for your health and well-being.

Related: Get Outside! (Easiest Health Hack Ever)

Considerations When Choosing Plants that Clean Indoor Air

Light

Some plants need more light than others, so before you select plants, take stock of where they will go. For low-light situations, consider a peace lily or philodendron. If you have a spot with full sun, a bamboo palm, snake plant, garden mum, or English ivy. Many other plants will tolerate a range of conditions. Note that plants preferring indirect light don’t want to get blasted with sun all day.

Size

Some of the recommended plants are the size of small trees! If a large plant is what you’re after consider a ficus or one of the palms on the list. If you need something smaller, be sure to check the mature size of any plant you’re considering.

Pets

Some plants are toxic to cats and dogs, so check carefully before you buy. Plants to avoid where pets can reach them: peace lily, dracaena, philodendron, English ivy, aloe, snake plant, ficus, garden mum.

Try one of the palms, Boston fern, or spider plant, or keep them in a spot that pets can’t access. Find the full list of houseplants that are toxic to pets from the ASPCA here.

Ease of Care

If you have trouble keeping houseplants alive, you might choose one of the options that can tolerate less-than-perfect care. Some options to consider include snakeplant/mother-in-law’s-tongue, English ivy, aloe, rubber plant, spider plant, or philodendron.

A self-watering planter is another smart investment to keep your plant happy even if you forget to water.

While the plants below are the ones at the top of the list for reducing indoor air pollution, any plants you grow will likely help improve air quality and probably your mood as well. If you’re like me and always prefer plants you can eat, check out this post on how to grow vegetables indoors. An indoor herb garden in your kitchen might be just the ticket!

Like outdoor plants, you can often save yourself some money at the garden center and get free plants by taking a division from a friend. If you know someone with an abundance of houseplants, ask to take a cutting or uproot a baby plant. Or see if anyone on Freecycle has something you’re looking for. Here’s what to know about how to propagate houseplants.

Here are tips for cleaning houseplants so they can do their job of cleaning your air!

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Butterfly or Areca Palm 

Even if your butterfly palm begins small, it will grow into a BIG plant, 10-12 feet in height at maturity, so be sure you’re comfortable with its size before buying one! It prefers bright, indirect light. Removes toluene, xylene. Safe for pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Lady Palm

Another big palm, lady palms can grow up to 14 ft. Prefers indirect light.

Safe for pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Bamboo palm

Another big palm, bamboo prefers full sun or bright light. Removes benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene.

Safe for pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Rubber Plant 

Requires less light than many of the plants on this list. Removes formaldehyde.

Safe for pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Dracaena “Janet Craig” 

Another large plant, Dracaena can grow up to 10 feet high. Prefers indirect light. Removes benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene.

Toxic to pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Philodendron

Philodendrons grow to about 6 feet and can tolerate lower-light conditions. Removes formaldehyde.

Toxic to pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Dwarf Date Palm 

A slow-growing palm, the date palm will eventually grow 8-10 feet tall. Prefers partial sun. Removes xylene.

Safe for pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Ficus 

These lovely indoor trees grow to about 10 feet. Prefers bright, indirect light but will tolerate lower light conditions. Removes benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene.

Toxic to pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Boston Fern 

Prefers indirect light. Removes formaldehyde and xylene.

Safe for pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Peace Lily

A good choice for low-light conditions. Removes ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene.

Toxic to pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Spider plant

Prefers indirect light. Removes formaldehyde, xylene and toluene.

Safe for pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Snake Plant/Mother-in-Law’s Tongue

This is a tough plant, a good choice if your thumb is more brown than green. While it prefers bright light, it can tolerate less light as well. Removes: benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene.

Toxic to pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Garden Mum

Those beautiful autumn flowers can cheer up your living space, then be planted in the garden when they’re done blooming, or kept as a houseplant. Mums prefer bright light. Removes ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene.

Toxic to pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: English Ivy 

An easy to grow, attractive plant, English ivy prefers bright light. Removes benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene and toluene

Toxic to pets.

Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air: Aloe

Aloe requires little care and survives an impressive amount of time without water. Plus it has numerous uses for DIY beauty, makes a great instant salve for skin irritation, and can even be used in the kitchen. More info on the many uses of aloe here. Removes formaldehyde.

Toxic to pets.

Enjoy better air with some of these hardworking plants that clean indoor air! 

Pin to save these best plants for cleaning indoor air for later!

Photo credits: Madison Inouye, kaboompics, Pexels, TreeWorld Wholesale, zoosnow, Free-Photos

Disclaimer: I’m a health enthusiast, not a medical professional. Content on this website is intended for informational purposes only and is not meant to provide personalized medical advice. I draw on numerous health sources, some of which are linked above. Please consult them for more information and a licensed professional for personalized recommendations.