Cleaning Air

Creatively Use & Respond to Change, People care, Plants, Small & Slow Solutions, Use & Value Diversity 1 Minute

I’ve been interested in cleaning the air in our house for some time. Years in fact. During the renovation I was particularly concerned with the possibilities of off-gassing from the building materials. Where possible we tried to reduce or eliminate these. For example, with our choice of floor finish (natural oils and wax) instead of polyeurethane seal.

There are numerous plants that do well indoors and have been scientifically proven to cleanse the air and produce oxygen. Sometimes despite the presence of daylight. I had three that were easily propagated and that we already had in our garden. Before our move I began the process of increasing their numbers with the intent of having them indoors to increase the inside air quality.

Now that the renovation is nearing a satisfying end it is time to bring in the armies of plants that we’ve been propagating with the intentional purpose to clear the air of any off-gassing from paint, building materials, oils, varnishes etc etc.

petitparadis aloe

 Aloe Vera – Aloe barbadensis

petitparadis spider plant

Spider Plant – Chlorophytum comosum

petit paradis snake plant

Mother In Law’s Tongue Snake Plants Sansevieria

Published by Petit Paradis

I am on a journey with my family to transition as closely as practicable to a state of self-reliance in suburbia. I practice permaculture principles in our house, garden and community. We are on the southern coast of Western Australia. To our north is the rest of the world. To the south, Antarctica.

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2 thoughts on “Cleaning Air”

  1. hmmm. I never bought this. I mean, I doubt is as effective as purported to be. Yes, they do clean the air; but do they do so enough to make a noticeable difference? I do not see how that would be possible. However, the houseplants in my former home really did seem to make a difference, particularly spider plants. I happen to be particularly sensitive to chemicals that come from modern building material, particularly carpet and vinyl. If I did not know any better, I would say that spider plants really did make the air seem to be less toxic.

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    1. I think it is a matter of quantity. Overall, we were lucky to reduce off-gassing to start with through whatever means we could such as choice of materials or finishes such as with the floor. Airing the place out, moving in much later once the place had been aired and then adding in the plants. After only a couple of months it there isn’t a new paint smell or any other chemical smell noticeable. We do however have plants in just about every main room!
      We don’t have any other means of testing this out for the moment, so I’m going with how we feel and what we can sense.

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