Do Houseplants Really Clean the Air in Your Home? Nope, It’s Just a Myth
Have you filled your home with plants to clean the air and protect your lungs? If so, I hope you like the way they look . . . A new article from the magazine "The Atlantic" says the idea that houseplants purify the air is basically just a MYTH.
They talked to a few different experts who all agreed that houseplants don't really clean the air in your home. At least not enough to make a difference.
A lot of us think they do, because it makes sense . . . trees clean the air outside, so why wouldn't it work on a smaller scale?
But the idea mostly comes from two studies by the same guy that came out in 1989 and 1996. Both of which found houseplants CAN clean the air. But in reality, they just can't do enough to make you any healthier.
If you filled every square inch of your home with plants, the air wouldn't be much better. And even if you did that, you'd still have new air coming in from outside.
Here's how one expert put it: In a 10-foot by 10-foot room, you'd need about a THOUSAND plants to achieve the same rate of turnover as the average ventilation system.
(The Atlantic) Image © 2019 GettyImages