Green Footprints

Here is a nice healthy substitute to the $400 air filters offered by some companies. This is the most green you can possibly get; a plant that cleans the air in its environment. It is possible to use plants as air filters if they are properly chosen. A good rule of thumb is 1 plant per 100 square feet.

House plants should not be overlooked in creating a fresh atmosphere by removing toxins and other pollutants.

Certain plants can be used to remove toxins from the environment.

The top 10:
1. Areca palm
2. Reed palm
3. Dwarf date palm
4. Boston fern
5. Pothos
6. English ivy
7. Australian sword fern
8. Peace lily
9. Rubber plant
10. Weeping fig

Smog was once a reason to stay indoors and try to avoid breathing toxic summer fumes. But now research is indicating that indoor air quality may be lower than the outdoors and might contain far more toxins than you would find outside. Toxins from household cleaners, burning candles, wood treatments and even the paint used on your walls can creep into the air and clog your lungs.

The best way to clean you air is to place 2-3 of the plants above in each room of your home spread out far enough that air passes each of them. You want adequate air flow from the room to the plants. These plants are responsible for removing unhealthy bacteria and adding the necessary humidity to keep even the most allergic people happy. The pollutants are sucked right through the leaves, so wiping them free of dust will help to increase the amount of pollutants that can be removed.

I think these plants are a perfect fix for people with a smoker in the house. While it is impossible to eliminate all the smoke, these plants should go a long way in freshening the air and making it a little more enjoyable to a nonsmoker. Maybe we’ll see these in bars and restaurants in the future to combat smoking.