Air purifying plants are still a hot commodity. And although we fully subscribe to the notion that plants have many benefits, we’ve decided to take a closer look at their air purifying benefits.
Here at Plantsome HQ, we've always been so proud of our air-purifying pals! You know the ones who are said to remove toxins like benzene and formaldehyde from the air we breathe? Sounds too good to be true? Well, maybe that’s because it is.
Hot Air
New studies have shown that plants are not as air purifying as once claimed to be, and to be honest, they’re not that great at removing toxic chemicals from your homes. Consider, for example, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichlorethylene. The extent to which house plants remove these from the air is considerably less than what we once thought - and far less than our green amigos would like to take credit for!
Was none of it true?
Don’t get us wrong - all plants are air purifying (to an extent) It’s what they’re born to do! Studies conducted by NASA and Air So Pure have indeed shown that some plants are better at purifying the air than other plants. This being said, however, to notice any air purifying effect you would need to place between 10 and 1000 plants per square meter. And that is a lot of plants!
Green Mission
Although we did truly believe that houseplants are great for purifying the air, we do recognize that you may be feeling slightly misinformed. As part of Green Mission for 2022, we will be adjusting our entire website and plant descriptions to no longer address air purifying plants as a category. Our green amigos might undergo a bit of an identity crisis but it’s something we’re here to support them with. And while they might not be the most air purifying - Plantsome plants have SO many other positive attributes!
What can they do?
First and foremost, plants make you feel good! They can help promote concentration, lower stress, and increase productivity. They also make a great stepping stone to having pets or kids! Curious about the benefits plants do bring? Read more here!
