For many of us, office life can be rough – and not for the reason you may think. It’s not the mounds of paper, countless conference calls or the hour long meetings – for those of us with sensitive allergies, the simple act of just being in a building other than our own home can be a struggle. How do we stop the sneezes, coughs and sniffles? If you’re sick of dusting and lysol-ing your workspace but you’re still sniffling, sneezing and coughing, try improving your air quality with one of the following houseplants!
Aloe Vera
In addition to soothing sunburns, an aloe vera plant in office can make air cleaner. This succulent loves the sun so it’s best for areas with great sunlight.
Chinese Evergreen
This is an ideal plant for any work area. It will thrive in areas with low light while ridding the air of pollutants.
Chrysanthemum
This beautiful flower will blossom in an area with sunlight. Once bloomed, a chrysanthemum will filter out benzene in addition to beautifying your work environment.
Peace Lily
In a study for NASA, the Peace Lily made the top spot for plants that improve air quality. Although it looks high maintenance, this flower only needs weekly waterings and shade. In return, it will filter out the three most common VOCs, formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene.
Gerber Daisy
Another flower that needs a lot of light, but is very effective at removing trichloroethylene, which is common on clothing that is dry cleaned.
Golden Pothos
This fast growing vine may require a little grooming every so often if you’re planning on having it in the office but will stay vibrant green, even if kept in a shady cubical.
Snake Plant
A great plant for bathrooms, the Snake Plant is one of the best for ridding your environment of formaldehyde which is commonly found in cleaning products, toilet paper, tissues, and other personal care products.
Spider Plant
If you were born missing the green thumb gene, this is the plant for you. It’s resiliency makes it a great plant for the office and people who cannot commit to a high-maintenance plant. In addition to being easy to care for, the spider plant battles benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene.
Photos and information from Mother Nature Network.