Plants That Can Decrease Your Indoor Humidity

On average, 93% of our time is spent indoors, which means that maintaining an ideal humidity level indoors is essential for healthy living - a moist environment acts as a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, and too much moisture can cause extensive damage to the structure of your house.

If the humidity inside our house is too high, it can lead to a number of unwanted symptoms such as watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, itching, fatigue, dizziness, congestion, and respiratory infections. 

That damp smell, mildew, mold or rotting frames do not make for ideal surroundings, and they can even put you in a poor mood, leading to depression. One study has found that there are "significant negative relationships between relative humidity and mood scores, which represent a measure of happiness." Other studies have concluded that your levels of health and happiness can both be influenced by the humidity levels.

Many people don't know why they get sick regularly, but it could very well be because of high humidity levels in their home environment. However, there is thankfully a natural and easy fix to high humidity levels - plants. Back in the late 1980s, NASA, which wanted cleaner air in its space stations, carried out some research on house plants. It found that there are a number of plants that can purify the air and decrease indoor humidity. 

 

Who would have thought that by doing something as simple as buying some house plants that you could decrease indoor humidity levels and improve your health and well-being? Next time you're at a garden store, be sure to pick up one or more of the following plants: 

 

1. Boston Fern

This attractive, exotic plant thrives in moist climates, naturally absorbing the humidity that is in the air. It helps to balance humidity levels to make your home more comfortable, and it even removes dangerous toxins such as xylene, formaldehyde, and benzene from the air. These plants look stunning hanging in baskets anywhere in the home - just remember to keep the in direct sunlight and mist them with water regularly to keep them looking pristine. 

 

2. Spider Plant 

This beautiful plant, with its long, arching leaves, is said to remove as much as 90% of the toxins in the air in just 48 hours. Since the leaves of this plant grow so quickly, they are very helpful at absorbing harmful substances like mold, and can help balance humidity levels too. 

 

3. Peace Lily

 

This lily helps to reduce humidity levels as it absorbs the moisture in the air through its leaves. It is very easy to grow and requires very little sunlight to thrive, making it ideal for those who aren't good at looking after plants. In addition to lowering the humidity levels, it comes with the added benefit of purifying the air of toxins and pollutants. You should consider keeping these plants in your bathroom, as they help to keep the shower curtain and tiles free from mildew. 

 

4. English Ivy 

This plant is fantastic for those who have pets as it can decrease the amount of airborne fecal matter. It can also help absorb formaldehyde, which is more common than you think as it is found in carpeting treatments, furniture, and household cleaning products. It can also remove molds that are common in humid places. Caring for this plant is simple - it needs minimal sunlight, and all you need to do is keep the soil moist. It's best to keep it in a hanging pot, so that it can absorb the humidity that rises. 

 

5. Palms 

Palms thrive in humid areas and also absorb moisture through their leaves. Whether you choose a reed palm, lady palm, bamboo palm, or areca palm, it does not matter as they are all very good at getting rid of indoor air pollutants, particularly formaldehyde. Furthermore, they're all easy to look after. The reed palm may be the most ideal one when compared to the others, as it can survive in lower light, meaning it can thrive in most home environments. All you have to do is keep the soil moist. 

 

6. Tillandsia 

This plant thrives when they're placed indoors in front of a sunny window. They live off the moisture and nutrients in the air by absorbing them through their leaves, which means that they're a great natural humidifier. Just to be sure though, it's best to give it some water 2-3 times per week.

 

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Decorate & Purify Your Home with Plants

There are quite a few plants you can grow at home that aren't just decorative, but serve to purify the air in your home. If you want to get a few plants but are worried that your lack of a green thumb will result in their demise, I’ve collected 10 of the most helpful plants that are both resilient or require very little attention to thrive. Add any one of these to your home and enjoy the added decoration, as well as cleaner air. 

 

1. Spider Plant

Spider plants can last for decades, and some people even call them “immortal”. The Spider Plant has a rich foliage and small white flowers. It fights against pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene, which drifts from nearby industries. This is also a 100% pet safe. 

 

How to care for Spider Plants: Spider plants need darker conditions (though they can grow in direct sunlight), and enough water to keep their top soil moist. At some point, a mature plant will start sending offshoots with small spider plants on them. These can be snipped and grown as new plants. 

 

2. Dracaena

These plants can get as tall as 15 feet, or stay smaller if kept in a smaller pot. They will clean any xylene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from the air, keeping your air quality superb. 

 

How to care for Dracaena: These plants love a lot of sunlight and enough water to keep the soil moist. Also, if you cut the plant, it’s not uncommon for it to split into two stalks at the cutting point. 

 

3. Rubber Tree

An effective air purifier, rubber trees are also very fast growers. Plant it in a large, deep pot, and place it in a cool and dim area in your home, and then watch it thrive. 

 

How to care for Rubber Tree: Water it only with room-temperature water, and if the leaves get dusty, wipe them clean, or spritz them with water. Yellow leaves are a warning sign that you are over-watering the plant. Prune yellow leaves and let the soil dry out a little.  

 

4. Philodendron

There are many sub-species of philodendron, and all of them are great at air-purifying. Whichever variation of philodendron you choose, if you take good care of it – it will last for many, many years. 

 

How to care for Philodendron: Philodendrons need a lot of indirect sunlight, so place them near the window. If more than one or two leaves turn yellow – the plant’s getting too much sunlight. As for watering – let the top inch of the soil dry before you water the plant again. Droopy leaves are a sign of under-watering, but the plant recovers quickly once it’s watered.  

 

5. English Ivy

The English ivy is a terrific houseplant for people who are not horticulturally-inclined, since they are very easy to grow. Not only that, but NASA has found that English ivy is one of the most efficient air purifying plants there is. Please make sure not to plant it in your garden, as this robust plant will take over as much area as it can. 

 

How to care for English Ivy: A potted ivy needs an environment with moderate temperatures and not too much sunlight. Watering should be done only if the soil is dry to the touch. 

 

6. Bamboo Palm

This wonderful plant needs to stay in a shady area and requires more water than the others on this list. However, it's a powerful purifyer, fights pollutants and is considered to be one of the best in its class by NASA. 

 

How to care for Bamboo Palm: Leave the palm plant away from direct sunlight and give it a little water every day. You can add a little bit of liquid fertilizer twice a month. If left in a little pot, this plant will remain small, but in a bigger pot it will become very lush.

7. Aloe Vera

If you’ve ever been stung by a mosquito or got a burn, there’s a good chance you applied some aloe vera on your skin. What you used was probably a processed, chemical-filled variation. The natural version, when fresh, works just as well, if not better. Not only that, but if you peel the skin, you can eat the fleshy insides (or add it to juice), which also help in detoxing the body. And lest we forget, aloe vera works as an air purifier. A good test of your air quality at home is if the plant start showing brown spots. 

 

How to care for Aloe Vera: Aloes are succulents, meaning they don’t need too much attention, and you only need to water them when their soil gets dry. They need sunny conditions, so placing them by the window or in a well-lit room is recommended.  

 

8. Snake Plant

Easy to grow and hard to kill, this plant is also terrific at providing fresh oxygen. Like any other plant, the plant will absorb CO2 during the day and at night it will release oxygen. The Snake Plant does this in greater volume, making them an excellent plant for the bedroom, as the added oxygen will improve the quality of your sleep. 

 

How to care for Snake Plant: these plants need very little light and water to survive, so only water it when the soil feels dry, and place them away from direct sunlight.

9. Peace Lily

The peace lily is virtually impossible to kill, as it is very resilient. It will give out its lovely white flowers ever so often, and its size depends on the size of the pot your place it in. They are beneficial in keeping the room they’re in clean of airborne toxins. How to care for a Peace Lily: The plant’s soil needs to remain lightly moist, and if you want to enjoy the plant’s flowers – place it in a darker area. 

 

10. Golden Pothos 

One of the most difficult-to-kill plants on this list, thanks to its ability to absorb humidity from the air. So if you forget to water it for a while, it’ll still survive. It’s highly efficient when it comes to cleaning toxins from the air, and since they’re a vine – they make excellent hanging plants.

 

How to care for Golden Pothos: These guys love a lot of water, but can handle some neglect without a problem. Keep them away from too much light, and your pothos will thrive.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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