Maintaining top-notch air quality in your home is of utmost importance. Although simple solutions, such as opening a window, can provide some improvement, it’s important to have multiple sustainable solutions that allow you to provide clean and healthy air in your house.
One of the most enjoyable and environmentally friendly ways to clean your home’s air is to put various plants around your Foothill Ranch residence. Taking this step can provide long-lasting results that rival those of sophisticated air purifiers. To learn more about why we recommend using indoor plants to keep your house’s air clean, keep reading to learn more about the science behind this unique air-quality solution.
Pollutants in Indoor Air
Although the air in your home may appear to be clean, the truth is that it could be hiding countless pollutants that could harm the health of you and your family. For example, many houses have formaldehyde in their air since formaldehyde is often used in wood furniture and other common home products. Depending on the property, you may also have lead, asbestos, smoke, nitrogen dioxide, dust, radon, pesticides and many other types of pollutants hiding in your air.
Many of these pollutants can cause chronic conditions, including respiratory conditions, cancer, mental and behavioral issues, migraines, blurred vision, asthma and even death. Given the very serious nature of indoor pollutants, it’s a good idea to have a multi-tiered approach when thinking through how to improve your house’s air quality.
How Plants Work
All plants rely on photosynthesis to convert certain natural substances into the building blocks and energy required for plants to survive and thrive. The most basic natural substances that plants need are sunlight, water and carbon dioxide.
Through the complex process of photosynthesis, a plant is able to produce the carbohydrate glucose. Since this process strips the carbon atoms away from the carbon dioxide molecule, one of the byproducts of photosynthesis is oxygen. Thus, simply by staying alive, a plant can turn what’s harmful to humans into what’s necessary for humans to survive.
Carbon dioxide is absorbed through pores on plant leaves known as stomata. The good news is that the stomata are large enough for other substances to enter as well. Thus, many of the harmful substances listed in the previous section can be absorbed by plants. No matter what a plant absorbs, though, all that it will ever release is oxygen, meaning that a plant is like a small and efficient air purifier that helps to aerate your household.
Other Benefits of Plants
Beyond cleaning your home’s indoor air, White Mechanical, Inc. wants you to know that there are other benefits of having plants in your house. For one, working to help your plants thrive can be quite relaxing. Focusing on something so simple is a great way to clear your mind after a long day. Some studies indicate that having plants in your residence can also boost your immune system and reduce fatigue. Plus, nothing livens up an otherwise boring space like plants.
Indoor Plant Care
Since plants are naturally found outside, there are some special care tips to observe when you have your plants inside. The most important tip is to ensure that your plants get adequate sunlight throughout the day. Even the hardiest plants need a few hours of sunlight every day to help them survive and thrive.
You might also notice that you need to water your indoor plants more often than outdoor plants. That’s because the air in your home is likely less humid than the air outside, meaning that indoor plants tend to release more water when they’re inside. Lastly, make sure to keep your plants away from drafty areas since the sudden temperature changes could cause your plants to die. If you need help fixing cracks that are causing drafts, you can always give the pros at White Mechanical, Inc. a call.
Safety First
If you have pets or children in your home, it’s important to take special care to ensure that your plants don’t get knocked off of the shelves or counters where they live. Make sure to keep the plant containers well away from the edges of these surfaces. Consider using a plastic pot instead of a breakable one so that you don’t run into a dangerous situation if the plant does get knocked over.
You should also make sure to avoid poisonous plants so that your children or pets won’t suffer if they ingest the leaves. Common poisonous indoor plants include oleander, caladium, ivy, arrowhead and more. Fortunately, there are plenty of non-poisonous plants that you can choose from that will still help purify your house’s air.
Other Options for Purifying Indoor Air
Of course, plants might not be able to completely remove all indoor toxins. To add another line of defense against indoor pollutants, it’s a good idea to install an air purifier from White Mechanical, Inc.. Air purifiers use three stages of filtration to capture and kill countless contaminants that are found in most household air.
Everything from common dust to various kinds of bacteria that can cause illnesses can be trapped and killed by an air purifier. In addition to removing pollutants from your air, an air purifier also helps protect your HVAC system, helps keep your furniture from getting dusty and gives your home a cleaner, fresher scent.
Best Indoor Plants
If you’re headed to the store to pick out some new plants for your residence, it’s important to know what you’re looking for. That’s because not all indoor plants are created equal in terms of their air-purifying capabilities. To help get the most bang for your buck, we recommend the following plant varieties.
When you’re looking for something with a leaf that has multiple shades of green, look no further than English ivy. This plant can add visual interest to any room thanks to its uniquely shaped leaves and variegated growth pattern. For a cleaner and more tropical feel, you can opt for one or more snake plants. These plants are great for smaller planters to help liven up a window or shelf. For a plant with a little more color, chrysanthemums and Barberton daisies should do the trick. Aloe vera, various types of palms and Chinese evergreens also make excellent choices for houses of any size.
Keeping Your Home Healthy
At White Mechanical, Inc. in Foothill Ranch, we want the same thing you do: a healthy home. While we don’t deliver indoor plants, we can install a top-notch air purifier to help get your house’s air as clean as possible. We can also take care of repairs, maintenance and installation for furnaces and air conditioners so that your family can stay comfortable. Plus, we install thermostats, and our team also offers maintenance agreements to make it easy to keep your property’s heating and cooling equipment in good condition. Winner of a “Best of HomeAdvisor” award, you can count on White Mechanical, Inc. to take care of your needs in a trustworthy and timely manner. For more information on improving your home’s air quality, contact us today.
