How to Improve Air Quality In Your Home and Garden

Have houseplants in your rooms and on your desks, as they dramatically improve air quality.

Here are a few plants to have in your household

 

Plant Name	Advantages	Disadvantages
Snake Plant	Low maintenance  Can grow indoors and outdoors  Absorbs toxic pollutants  Filters indoor air and one of the few plants that can convert (Carbon Dioxide)CO2 to O2 (Oxygen) even at night	Toxic to dogs and cats, keep it away from children and pets Easy to overwater Exposure to cold temperatures (below 50 °F or 10 °C) can permanently damage the leaves of the plant Slow growth (could be an advantage)
Spider plant	Low maintenance Resilient Absorbs toxic pollutants from the air Can survive in artificial lighting conditions Can survive cold conditions, (just not below freezing) Pet friendly Speedy recovery for surgical patients	None yet
Peace lily	A beautiful plant that will brighten your room and uplift your spirit Absorbs toxic pollutants in the air Low maintenance Prevents mold formation in bathrooms Removes mold spores (spores can irritate your skin, eyes, nose and throat when exposed to it)	Can cause inflammation when consumed by cats and dogs. Keep the lilies clear from pets.
Weeping Fig	Absorbs toxic air pollutants, improves air quality Grows slowly Very attractive indoor plant Fairly easy maintenance	Doesn’t like to be moved around. Moving them around will trigger them to shed leaves. Toxic to cats and dogs.
Boston Fern	Grows well indoors One of the top rated plants for removing air pollutants according to Dr. B.C Wolverton in his book “How to Grow Fresh Air” Non toxic to people or pets	Mid to high maintenance Sensitive to watering

 

 

Switch to Soy and Beeswax candles

If you wish to light some candles, choose natural candles over petroleum based ones. Why? They burn clean – no soot residue or toxic chemicals released upon combustion.

 

We recommend natural beeswax, soy (suitable for vegans) or coconut oil based candles. They all leave a great smell, they are non-toxic and hypoallergenic. 

 

Essential Oils

Are you into essential oils? You can invest in an essential oil diffuser to cover your rooms with pleasant aromas. If you don’t want to buy one, you can just create your own.

 

The tools and ingredient you need:

 

• Mason/Kilner Jar with Lid
• Your preferred essential oil(s), you can take a looksie at our collection of essential oils, if you are interested
• Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

 

To create your own essential oil diffuser:

• Fill your mason/kilner jar up with baking soda(bicarbonate of soda) up to 4cm in depth,
• Add a few drops of your favourite essential oils.
• Punch tiny holes into your jar’s lid and close it up.
• Donezo Washington.

 

Plant trees and hedges

 

Plant trees and hedges in your garden to improve the air quality and making it bee friendly as an added benefit.  

 

Planting trees and low hedges in your garden will help absorb air pollution produced from vehicles and improve air quality. Jen Chillingsworth, the author of the book ‘Live Green’ recommends planting the following list of trees in your garden:

 

• Cherry Laurel – large sized evergreen shrub
• Field Maple – medium sized evergreen shrub
• Lawson’s Cypress (medium size)
• Norwegian Maple (large size)

 

For smaller gardens you can plant an apple tree.

 

For hedging -  go with Leylandii and Yews, as they are great for trapping dirt into their needle like leaves.

 

There are a range of plants you can plant for the bees, to help them pollinate. Here are a few:

 

• Arabis
• Primroses
• Sedum
• Chamomile
• Thyme
• Jasmine
• Strawberries
• Salvia
• Foxgloves
• Lavender
• Zucchini
• Summer Squashes
• Walflowers
• Abelia
• Squashes
• Rosemary
• Mahonia

 

When growing these plants, try to avoid using artificial pesticides.

 

You can even make your own natural pesticide – free from harmful chemicals and very cost effective

 

• Fill a 35oz (1 litre) spray bottle with water and 2 teaspoons of castile soap.
• Spray on the leaves to deter bugs