HELPFUL HOUSE PLANTS

By William for wheezingaway.com

(Our take on an article found in a health magazine.)

             One of those items which many do not always remember to account for when battling a chronic illness and/or disability, is the quality of living within the walls of their living space or home.

Plus, so many do not think about the affects of quality air within their living space and how it may affect ones daily battles with a chronic illness and/or disability.

Due to my own battles with COPD and severe Asthma, the air inside of my home is very valuable to me and I am acutely aware when something is in the air that is bothering me.

Let me ask those reading this a question: WHICH IS MORE POLLUTED – the AIR INSIDE YOUR HOME or LIVING SPACE, or the AIR OUTSIDE?

            Nearly every time, one will claim it is outside their home or living space, when in actuality nearly every time it will be the air within the confines of one’s home or living space. In fact, indoor air pollution in many sectors ranked among the top five greatest risks to public health by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). They claim that a build up of stagnant inside air allows many pollutants to stick to things inside of your home or living space.

            Many things inside of your home or living space can and will emit nasty toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, pollen, bacteria, mold, and a various number of outdoor contaminants that seem to find a path to the inside of your home or living space.

            There is an answer to solving this – it is call HOUSE PLANTS!! Even when you may not have a green thumb (like myself), several houseplants that can solve some of the inside air quality issues are nearly impossible to kill.

            Among the those houseplants consider good for the air quality of one’s home or living space are garden mums, spider plant, dracaena, ficus, peace lily, boston fern, snake plant, bamboo palm, and aloe vera.

            Let’s discuss some of those indoor houseplants which will benefit one in helping with the quality of the air within the home or living space you occupy.

            GARDEN MUM – A Garden Mum is a plant which NASA has found to be a real monster in being an air-purifier. Garden Mums have been determined to have the ability to remove ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene from the air with a home or living space. Another quality about a Garden Mum is they are not only a popular houseplant, they are also consider inexpensive when compared to others and can also be planted outside as well.

            SPIDER PLANT – Incredibly easy to grow even for beginners, a Spider Plant will collect bright light and direct light before sending out shoots which will end with flowers on them. Each flower will then grow into a baby spider plant for which even a beginner can take and replant to become a full plant on its own. It is a plant for which one can end up with more than needy which means one can pass some on to others to help with the air in their own home or living space.

            DRACAENA – While there may be over 40 kinds of Dracaena plants, instead of worrying about choosing one, an individual can seemingly pick the one they like best for their surroundings. The Dracaena plant is excellent at removing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene from the air. One downfall to a Dracaena plant is that it is also toxic to cats and dogs, which means you may have to reconsider getting one if you think a family pet will get into it.

            FICUS – A Ficus tree is a favorite of many, but it also has the ability to grow quite large depending on the pot they are planted in. Normally standing between 2-10 feet tall, the Ficus can do some serious cleaning of the indoor air. Ficus trees are exceptional for the indoor air in the winter while they can be placed outside in the spring and summer. A Ficus tree works well in removing benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from the indoor air of one’s home or living space.

            PEACE LILY – While being a beautiful flower, a Peace Lily seems to be near impossible to kill while having superb indoor air cleaning skills on things like ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. The Peace Lily will flower during the summer and prefers shady spots with moist but not soggy soil.

            BOSTON FERN – A Boston Fern does well in cool locations that still have high humidity and indirect light. Many find that a bathroom is near perfect to place a Boston Fern as they work to remove pollutants like formaldehyde and xylene from your indoor air.

            SNAKE PLANT – Many folks will find a Snake Plant in offices and restaurants as they seem to be nearly impossible to kill. Humor tidbit about the Snake Plant is they are also referred to as ‘Mother-in-law’s Tongue’!! The Snake Plant needs only to be watered occasionally and does have a preference of drier conditions while not needing much direct sunlight either. Snake Plants work well at removing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene from the indoor air.

            BAMBOO PALM – If you have an issue with filtering formaldehyde, then the Bamboo Palm is what you need. The Bamboo Palm thrives in full sun and bright lights. Growing to as much as 12-feet tall, the Bamboo Palm can also be an amazing presence inside one’s home or living space. Bamboo Palm will also work well removing benzene, and trichloroethylene.

            ALOE VERA – Another one of those multi-use plants, the Aloe Vera plant not only helps purify the air within one’s home or living space, it can also provide other health benefits when it’s liquids are consumed in small amounts, and is rubbed on incidents involving cuts and burns.

As one with lung issues as part of my daily chronic illness and/or disability, the quality of the air in own home is important to me which is why we do have some plants within our home as well as a quality air filter machine.

No matter what your chronic illness and/or disability is, the quality of air which you must breath in to survive is as important to keep an eye on as anything else involving your own battles of a chronic illness and/or disability.

            A QUESTION FOR THE MOMENT:

  • Do you understand the importance of air quality within your home and/or living space in reference to the battle you fight with your own chronic illness and/or disability?
  • What plants do you have or use to help with the air quality/purification of your home and/or living space?

A REMINDER – Do you have any comments or questions about our postings? Then feel free to leave a comment either on this blog or at the email address of wheezingaway@gmail.com.

ALWAYS REMEMBER (because I have COPD and severe Asthma) – If you or anyone you know has any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

With that, I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings, and steady health – Mr. William

(Copyright@2022 by CrossDove Writers through wheezingaway.com – no part of this writing may be used or copied without written permission by CrossDove Writers.)

NOTE: Sometimes we share what may seem like medical information, but we are only giving descriptions and highlights of various aspects of battling a chronic illness and/or disability, and in no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information without consulting your general physician or medical specialists.