Take help from these 7 plants to cleanse your house air this Diwali

Diwali is a good day to make the world a better place. And in this battle of smog and pollution choking the city, we can fight with planting green plants. There’s a wide variety of plants which not only produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide but also cleanse the air of pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, etc. Yes, we have all heard of NASA’s list of plants, we’ve also visited a few neighbourhood nurseries to come up with our own list of plants that will grow in Delhi weather. Maybe, you can use these as Diwali gifts, too.

Snake Plant

Snake plant. (Jasjeet Plaha)

This evergreen perennial plant with dense stands makes for a pretty addition to the house. The plant comes in various sizes that range from 5-6cm talls to about 6 feet tall, and do not require much direct sunlight. Maintaining them is easy and a little amount of water every now and then keeps the plant healthy. The plant releases oxygen and is also one that won’t attract insects. Furthermore, it also reduces the amount of formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene in the air.

Price: Rs 350 (for a midsized piece)

Pet Safe: No

Peace Lily

Peace Lily. (Sarang Gupta/Hindustan Times)

An evergreen herbaceous perennial plant, this one is not only pretty, but is super low maintenance as it can survive low water and light conditions with ease. Not only is it an oxygen releasing plant, it is also known to clean indoor air of certain environmental contaminants, including benzene and formaldehyde.

Price: Rs 250 (for a small plant), Rs 350 (for a bigger variant).

Pet Safe: No

Silver King

Silver King. (Jasjeet Plaha)

An evergreen perennial herb, Silver King are considered luck bringing plants and grow in low maintenance conditions. The plant is efficient in clearing out pollutants from the air and is also a popular choice as it grows beautifully. It is capable of dramatically reducing the levels of benzene and formaldehyde in the air too.

Price: Rs 550 (for a mid-sized plant).

Pet Safe: No

Lipstick

Lipstick. (Jasjeet Plaha)

A variant of the Aglaonema plant family, which even Silver King is a part of, this one too is considered to be a luck bringing plant and is popular as an ornamental gifting plant. The reddish ends of the leaves make it a perfect indoor plant and this one too can survive low light conditions. Much like the Silver King, this one too reduces the levels of benzene and formaldehyde in the air.

Price: Rs 550 (for a mid-sized plant).

Pet Safe: No

Spider Plant

This one is a perennial flowering plant, and is also a popular buy among those looking for affordable decorative plants. It clears pollutants like formaldehyde from the air, produces oxygen and bears white flowers that make it a perfect addition for household decoration. Maintaining this one too is super easy.

Spider Plant. (Jasjeet Plaha)

Price: 250

Pet Safe: Yes

Areca Palm

Areca Palm. (Jasjeet Plaha)

Known for filtering xylene and toluene from the air, the Areca Palm is a beautiful plant to add to your home. It is a low maintenance plant and grows really fast in optimum conditions. The plant is a popular choice for indoor as well as outdoor use.

Price: 950 (for a mid-sized variant)

Pet Safe: Yes

Money Plant

Money Plant. (Jasjeet Plaha)

Also known as Devil’s Ivy, this one is impossible to kill and even stays in green in dark areas, thus making it the easiest to maintain oxygen giving plant. The plant is also efficient at removing indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde, trichloroethene, toluene, xylene, and benzene.

Price: Rs 500 (for small variant), Rs 1400 (for large variant)

Pet Safe: No

Know your pollutants:

Pollutants in the house don’t only come from smoke, they exist in everyday things, and it is necessary that you know what’s contributing to bad air in the house. Trichloroethylene can be found in paints, lacquers, adhesives, strippers and painting inks. Formaldehyde can be found in paper towels, tissues, paper bags, synthetic fabrics, paper napkins and more. While Benzene, one of the most common pollutants, is found in dyes, detergents, drugs, glue paint, furniture wax and plastics (among others). Xylene is found in rubber, leather, paint, tobacco smoke. When looking to buy any of these products, you can ask for chemical-free or eco-friendly options for the same.

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First Published: Nov 07, 2018 11:23 IST