If you are a first time home buyer who has just moved into your new apartment or have undertaken a home renovation project like painting your walls, then your apartment may have lingering chemicals that are harmful for you. Apart from this, if you own a flat in Dhaka city where pollution is high, your apartment living conditions may be less than ideal. However, you can easily combat these with houseplants that are readily available and have great air purifying ability. Here is a list of 6 such plants that will purify your apartment air.
English Ivy
This perennial plant with vines flourishes in small apartments or spaces that do not have ample day light. It is also a great ornamental plant which can be used to adorn a shelf, table, corner space etc.
Ivy works by absorbing formaldehyde from its surroundings. Formaldehyde is a major indoor pollutant and its traces can linger in your apartment from wood resins or carpet dyes.
Peace lily
Peace lily is another common houseplant which grows all throughout the year and can adapt in apartments with low light. This plant is most efficient in getting rid of VOC benzene found in furniture wax, polish and paints.
Lady Palm
One of the largely available houseplants is the lady palm tree which is suitable for any space in your apartment be it your living room or an entry way. This ornamental plant can amplify your apartment décor wherever it is placed. It helps purify your apartment air by absorbing ammonia which is prevalent in dyes, fabrics, etc.
Draceana, a commonly found shrub is great if you have apartment with high ceilings as it can grow quite tall (up to 15feet!) Its leaves contain a dark red tint which adds a pop of color to your apartment décor. The plant is great for cleansing your apartment air as it absorbs most of the formaldehyde, benzene, xyelene, etc from lacquers, varnishes. A note for this house plant- it thrives best in moderate sunlight and with moderate, infrequent watering.
Spider Plant
Spider plant is a popular houseplant which can adapt to any condition. This plant also absorbs formaldehyde and benzene from your apartment air and improves apartment living conditions. It also removes carbon monoxide and other toxins from the environment. You can decorate your apartment simply by hanging the plant from a basket near a window.
Arrowhead plant
Another of the popular houseplants for cleaning air, the arrowhead plant, helps to eliminate formaldehyde from the air. Results show that it can decrease formaldehyde level by 67% in 24hrs. This plant is good for homes where you have a smoker. You can also place it in your kitchen as it can remove formaldehyde released from cooking on gas stove.
Most of these plants are readily available in Bangladesh at your local nursery. With these tips you can easily grow your own air purifying houseplants and have a clean and healthy environment in your apartment.