Summer coolers

We can convert our homes, offices and schools into eco-friendly zones by bringing in purifying plants that keep the space cool and clean, says Harpreet Ahluwalia

With soaring temperatures, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep your home cool. With a reduction in the number of trees and increase in the artificial cooling machine consumption, a rise in the release of harmful air into the atmosphere is a growing concern.

It is high time to go organic and adapt to the nature’s call for change. We can keep our indoors — offices, homes, and schools — cool and clean with a number of natural ways.

We can keep our spaces cooler by planting air-purifying plants which require less water to keep our ambience clean and green and help in generating a pollutant-free environment. Growing plants in pots or in the ground creates an eco-system where the air gets cool on its own without any extra efforts. This summer individuals should think about adding plants in the environment, home and offices to keep cool.

In fact, we can convert our homes, offices and schools into eco-friendly places just by bringing in a few purifying plants that keep the space cool and clean. Having an aloe vera plant is not only effective in treating nasty sunburns, but it also works to cool the air temperature as well as removing pollutants and harmful viruses from the air. This plant is well known for its great medicinal benefits. It lowers the air temperature and helps to protect our house from overheating. Aloe vera plant also helps in clearing formaldehyde and benzene from the polluted air which can be a byproduct of chemical cleaners used for household chores. Aloe vera is a smart choice for a sunny kitchen window.

The snake plant, also known as mother-in-law’s tongue is a type of plant, native to Africa and Brazil and is commonly used as indoor decoration. A strategically placed snake plant can do wonders for your breathing problems. This plant does not take oxygen away, like most plants do. On the other hand, it emits oxygen, keeping your bedroom cool and fresh. Due to the exceptionally rich oxygen that it supplies, this plant has been found to greatly increase health, vitality, and the quality of sleep. By creating an oxygenated resting space, it helps to reduce headaches, eye irritation, respiratory problems, allergies, muscle tension and re-energises the brain.

Areca palm is another popular living room plant which is often used as a decorative as well as an efficient air purifier. In addition to cooling your home, the areca palm helps in removing benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the air.

With ficus trees, you can keep the air temperature cool as well as reduce air pollution and improve air quality. Although this plant has some serious air-cleaning abilities, it can also be taken outside in late spring and brought back indoors when temperatures are warm and well above freezing.

Popularised during the Victorian era, the Boston fern is considered as one of the most efficient air purifiers. It prefers indirect light or darker rooms. It is also animal safe. Fern plant helps in not only cooling and humidifying the air, but just like aloe vera, it is essential for cleaning formaldehyde out of the air. It is one of the most effective air-purifying plants,says NASA.

(The author is a green entrepreneur and founder of Earthly Creations)