Summer is Here: How Do I Take Care of My Indoor Air
Summer! Most of us absolutely love this season. Honestly, it ranks right up there for me. It is not without its drawbacks. The least of which is the heat. While it is mostly terrific it can definitely get extreme. As the temperature rises, in this season we love, several not so favorable things can occur which adversely affect our indoor air quality.
The first thing is that humidity tends to go up and we run the AC a whole lot. These things can cause mold to form and grow which is always bad for the indoor air quality.
Next, because we are using the AC so much we tend to keep the windows and doors shut very tightly. This, in turn, causes the inordinate accumulation of airborne particles that contaminate the indoor air.
Also, because the windows and door are closed so tightly, toxic chemicals and dust accumulate. This occurs because there is such poor ventilation and circulation during this time.
That is the bad news. There is good news. Adding a few simple houseplants can help naturally purify the indoor air even in summertime conditions. Don’t worry, the suggested plants do not require a ginormous green thumb (good thing for me).
The top five suggested house plants for purifying your indoor air are as follows:
- Boston Ferns – Do not require direct sunlight and need to remain moist. Considered one of the very best indoor air purifiers.
- Golden Pothos – One of the easiest plants to grow and is virtually indestructible. Indirect light (even fluorescent) and just keep moist without over watering.
- English Ivy – Super air cleaner that ranks almost as high as the Boston Fern. Grow well in mid to abundant light and hate high temperatures (me too especially indoors).
- Palm Trees – Excellent air cleaners and very easy to care for.
- Rubber Plants – Grow well in low lightt and easy to keep alive.
Honorable Mentions go to the Spider Plant, great as hanging plants and enjoy semi-sunny or shaded environments. Also to the Peace Lily which are right up there with Boston Ferns and English Ivy for air purifying and are easy to care for with year round blooms.
Hopefully this has given you some great suggestions for enjoying your summer and keeping your indoor air as healthy as possible.
Sources: https://www.6sqft.com/15-indoor-air-purifying-plants-to-add-to-your-apartment-or-home/ https://aai.care/even-breath-changes-every-season/