Living in the city can sometimes be a health hazard, especially if you live near main roads, highways or industrial areas. Cleaning might be one headache, but your health may be at risk too. Apart from maintaining good lifestyle habits like healthy, balanced diets, regular exercise, there are some extra ways you can protect yourself and your family.

One of these ways is to actually keep air purifying plants in your home. Apart from external pollutants, there are some toxins found within your home, namely formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. Formaldehyde is released from carpet glue, upholstery and paint. Benzene is released by certain plastics, rubbers, synthetic lubricants and fibres whereas trichloroethylene is found in cleaning solutions, paint thinners, adhesives and others.

The following are some common tropical indoor house plants that will help purify the air:

Geraniums



Geraniums have a unique smell which is similar to citrus fruits emanating from their leaves which serve as a deterrent to mosquitoes as well as keeping the odour of a room fresh. Keeping Geraniums are pretty easy as they only need some water daily and to be brought out into the sun for several hours once every 2 or 3 days.

Anthuriums



A flowering plant, the Anthurium isn’t just functional, it looks really beautiful too as the plant produces large oval shaped flowers with a shiny surface that are red, pink or yellowish-white. They have large dark leaves that can neutralize ammonia, formaldehyde, toluene and xylene which are common toxic solvents found around the house and office.

Chinese Evergreens



Also known as Aglaonema, Chinese Evergreens can be recognized by their leaves which are long and have a yellowish-white to light green centres. They are great indoor plants as they do not need very high intensity of sunlight to survive. In addition to cleaning up gases like ammonia, it also has the ability to remove benzene, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde.

Spider Plant



A very common house plant in Malaysia and other tropical countries as it looks absolutely gorgeous with its slender leaves draping over its sides gracefully. It has the unique ability of neutralizing almost all the dangerous chemicals including benzene and xylene and grows well in shaded environments that are less than 32°C.

Aloe Vera



The Aloe Vera plant is highly useful houseplant as it not only clears up formaldehydes and benzenes from the air, but also produces a succulent gel that it great for soothing cuts. Grazes and burns. Aloe Vera can also be consumed as a health food when mixed with desserts and drinks. Some people use on their skin as a beauty product as well.

Peace Lilies



Peace Lilies produce delicate white flowers that fold inward, giving an impression of purity and innocence. This plant is one of the best natural air fresheners out there are is extremely effective in removing cigarette smoke and cigarette smells with the fragrance that comes from its flowers. Additionally, it’s also capable of replacing toxic gases with oxygen.