After a day’s long stressful work in office, hearing continuous cacophony on roads, every evening; people head to their sweet, cosy homes to find solace and relax. So, it would not be wrong to say, ‘Home is where the heart is’. That is why, people, these days, pay a lot of attention to their house’s interior, as almost half the life is spent, staying at home. And this is where, the indoor plants play an important role.
Indoor plants act as living air purifier. These plants not only release oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from air, but also eliminate Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from air. VOCs consist of Benzene, Formaldehyde or Trichloroethylene. Some of the popular indoor plants are English Ivy, Areca Palm, Mother in Law’s Tounge, Money Plant, Rubber Plant, Moth Orchids, Weeping Fig Indoor Tree and Spider Plant. These plants have the ability to flourish on reduced sunlight, therefore, their leaf composition allows them to photosynthesize well in household light.
Keeping these plants in right number with right height can do wonders to your home! They can reduce the indoor air pollution substantially! Interestingly, National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) conducted a study to find out which plants were most suitable to cleanse indoor air pollutants. They found out that it is best to use 15 to 18 good-sized houseplants in six- to eight-inch (203 mm) diameter containers in a 1,800-square-feet house.
Now coming on to toxins –Benzene, is present in the air, largely as a pollutant from manufacturing and motor vehicle exhaust. It is also present in detergents, medicines, synthetic fibres and dyes. It has harmful effects on humans as it causes inflammation of the nasal airways and throat. It is equally harmful for skin also. Similarly, short term and long term exposure to Formaldehyde exposure can result in respiratory symptoms, eye, nose, and throat irritation.
Now just imagine what wonders these indoor plants could do to you, by purifying such harmful pollutants! Even the maintenance of the plants is also not cumbersome. These plants can be maintained with less effort at home and are easily available in market. However, care should be taken if one has children or pets at home as some of these plants could be poisonous, when swallowed. Also, these plants have to be kept clean regularly.
Money plant grows well in the soil that is only slightly moist. It can also thrive in less water. However, avoid over watering it under all circumstances. Just water it once every 7 to 10 days. The soil for Spider Plant has to be evenly moist. Spider plants are best grown in containers and hanging baskets where their shoots and tiny baby spider plants can hang down.
Rubber Plant, It on the other hand, can be kept in shade or indirect sunlight. Less light it gets, darker its leaves would become. Watering 2/3 times a week should be perfect but a plant left to dry out occasionally will not suffer too much. The leaves have to be kept dust free as far as possible and fertilizing once in a month is feasible. Similarly, other indoor plants are easy to maintain.
We should not forget that placing these plants in beautiful pots at corners of the rooms not only enhances the beauty and serenity of the room but also purifies the indoor air as well. So go for healthy plants and breathe pure air at home!
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