Saved By The Houseplant

I know! I know! I've neglected my blog!  I've been stuck in a hell of my own making- Renovation Hell. My husband and I have embarked on a huge remodeling project, the kitchen. I would never have guessed that it was so difficult and expensive to find Eco-safe replacements for everything in our kitchen.  I think I did good, though.

But, of course, then came an even bigger concern. What to do about the toxins released during the removal of our old stuff? I knew I couldn't run around the work crew as they were demolishing it all. They tend to frown upon that.  I vowed to do the best I could to stay out of their way.

Off to the garden store I went.  There I picked up seven tropical house plants in a variety of sizes and styles.

My husband's eyebrows furrowed as I made each trip from the garage to the kitchen with an armful of plants.  I placed a few of them in the kitchen, out of the way,of course. The remainder were scattered around the rooms off the kitchen.

" Are we starting a nursery now? What's with all the plants?" My husband asked.

" I'm glad you asked, " I replied. Then, I told him what I'm about to tell you all.

Household plants help to remove indoor air pollution through photosynthesis.  In studies done by NASA in the late 1980's, it was discovered that plants are able to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air. But, even more importantly, it was proven they also absorb benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. These are some of the very chemicals found in the dust of my demolished kitchen.

The most effective in purifying the air of your home are tropical or sub- tropical. You can find a list of the best plants to use in this months Health Naturally Magazine in an article titled Green Living-Improving Air Quality With Common House Plants by Dr. Lisa Watson, ND.

She suggest using one good sized plant in a 6 to 8 inch diameter container for each 100 square feet of indoor space.

Sooooo, I may have gone a bit overboard. When it comes to my family's health, I rather be safe than sorry.

Anyhoo, I'm still dealing with the noise and disruption in the meanwhile. I'll be glad when its all done! I do feel safer with my house plants working overtime. Until next blog, check out this list of pollutants found in most homes and the symptoms they can cause. Maybe you might want to pick up a few plants of your own.