Today’s Solutions: November 04, 2026

Houseplants are all great natural indoor air purifiers, but some are especially effective for improving indoor air quality. Here are seven houseplant varieties that are ideal for cleaning your home’s air.

English ivy

This vine is easy to care for and helps prevent mold from growing in your home. Keep it happy by providing it with four hours of direct sunlight each day and keeping its soil moist.

Rubber tree plant

Rubber tree plants have been shown to remove formaldehyde from the air, a chemical found in cleaning products. They’re easy to care for and help remove airborne toxins. Wipe the leaves down with a moist cloth for optimal air-purifying powers.

Lemon button fern

Ferns are shown to remove formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air. The lemon button variety is great for winter because it also boosts air humidity.

Areca butterfly palm tree

This plant is so good at filtering air that NASA declared it the best purifying plant in 1989.

Peace lily

This beautiful plant not only produces gorgeous flowers, but also removes a whole host of toxins from the air including benzene, formaldehyde, tri-chloroethylene, xylene, toluene, and ammonia. It also fights airborne mold that aggravates allergies.

Snake plant

These plants remove benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene from the air and are highly popular so you can find one at most nurseries and garden centers.

Philodendron

These air-purifying plants are easy to maintain which makes them a great choice for anyone without a green thumb.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Maya Higa built a wildlife sanctuary on Twitch, funded by the people who watc...

This article is part of The Optimist Daily's Local Changemakers 2026 series, spotlighting changemakers 30 and under. Earlier this year, on a trip to ...

Read More

Stanford scientists discovered bleached coral can heal through touch

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Two coral fragments fell over in a Stanford lab tank. When they touched, one healed the other. The ...

Read More

Study: Drinking the right amount of caffeine may lower diabetes risks

While too much caffeine from coffee may cause unpleasant side effects such as anxiety or insomnia, that doesn’t mean you should cut your caffeine ...

Read More

AI could identify chickens in distress and improve conditions

We’ve already written before about AI’s potential to improve pigs’ lives by listening to them. Now, scientists have found they can use AI on ...

Read More