Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The Greenhouse Effect

From the book "The Complete Organic Pregnancy"by Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu

"Not only do plants convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, but some remove chemicals, too. All the more reason to thank them every so often. The following list of indoor plants will help filter the air in your home.

Aloe vera (formaldehyde)
elephant ear philodendron (formaldehyde)
English ivy (benzene)
ficus (formaldehyde)
golden pothos (carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde)
peace lily (benzene, trichloroethylene)
spider plant (carbon monoxide)"

(These plants aren't necessarily non toxic to children, so keep that in mind in choosing where to put them.)  I recently got an aloe plant and will also use it in case of sunburns this summer.  Spider plants and golden pothos (ivy like plant) are super easy to keep.  I always forget to water my plants and these do just fine.  ;)