Tired of Stale Air?

It's that time of year again! Button down the hatches, seal up the windows & tell the kids to shut the door, they're letting the heat out. You may have already noticed that it suddenly seems a little stuffy indoors. Here are some sure-fire tips to help remove toxins and alleviate that dry/stale air that tends to build up in homes this time of year. Did you know that certain common houseplants remove toxins?

Here is a list of common house plants, as well as the toxins they remove from your home:

• Aloe Vera: 90% Formaldehyde
• Elephant Ear Philodendron: 86% Formaldehyde
• English Ivy: Benzene 90%
• Fichus (weeping fig): Formaldehyde 47%
• Golden Pothos: Carbon Monoxide 75%, Benzene 67%, Formaldehyde 67%
• Janet Graig (corn plant): Benzene 79%
• Peace Lily: Benzene 80%, Trichloroethylene 50%
• Spider Plant: Carbon Monoxide 96%

How to Use the above information:

Carpets tend to have formaldehyde in them, if you have a heavily carpeted area of your home, consider balancing it with a couple aloe vera plants and a golden pothos.

As a rule of thumb, allow at least one houseplant per 100 square feet of living area. The healthier you keep the plant, the more air it will filter for you. In addition, plants help balance humidity levels within your home as well.
While having several plants in your home can be a benefit to your health, you may worry it will empty your pocketbook. If you're new to planting, consider a plant swap or exchange of seedlings and cuttings with some of your friends or neighbors.

For additional Plant Food Recipes see Frugal Household Recipes

Article By Liss Burnell – Creator & Designer of Budget101.com, “Digging yourself out of debt when all you have is a spoon” © 2005