Seven houseplants that can help remove dust and filter air in your home

Plants can be a fantastic visual enhancement to your home, but certain varieties also offer additional benefits that could even boost your health. Through a process known as phytoremediation, some plants can filter the air around them, purifying your home, while the specific leaf types on others can trap dust you'd otherwise be tidying up every week.

Calum Maddock, a gardening and plants expert at HomeHow.co.uk, unveiled seven specific plants that can do both starting with the much loved peace lily. This iconic plant is known to be easy to care for and great for beginners but they also have the ability to absorb mould spores and other pollutants in the house like acetone vapours from your household cleaners.

The expert suggested keeping these beautiful white flowers in large pots in areas with high foot traffic or where you frequently use chemical cleaners.

Ivy

Maddock stated: "There are several types of ivy that are great at removing dust. English Ivy is one of the best examples, as it can remove octane, benzene, trichloroethylene, and toluene.

"Their dense, waxy leaves have a large surface area that traps airborne particles. You can grow ivy plants in hanging planters to help improve the air quality in your home. Not only can ivy plants improve the air quality in your home, but their unique hanging design makes them very aesthetically pleasing."

Spider Plant

These common, low-maintenance houseplants boast air-purifying qualities and can eliminate up to 95% of airborne toxins according to some research. Perfectly positioned in kitchens, lounges and offices to tackle everyday pollutants.

They're also simple to propagate, meaning you can grow multiple offspring plants to fill your home.

Rubber Plant

These plants provide distinctive aesthetic foliage that makes brilliant décor whilst also capturing dust in their large glossy leaves.

So instead of dusting, you can simply wipe down the leaves with a damp cloth.

This will eliminate the accumulated dust and also keep the plant's pores clear, enabling it to carry on absorbing contaminants from the air.

ZZ Plant.

This compact houseplant is resilient and drought-tolerant, with small glossy leaves that can gather dust particles and other toxins from the air. You'll need to wipe down or mist these leaves regularly to eliminate the dust and maintain the plant's health but the gardening expert noted that it's a brilliant choice for people who don't trust their gardening abilities as it "thrives on neglect".

Boston Fern.

A Boston fern boasts iconic feathery fronds in a thick, bushy pattern that helps eliminate toxins from the air, particularly formaldehyde, whilst also adding moisture to the air. This can make it a perfect plant for people with dry skin or respiratory irritation and the expert recommended positioning it in the bathroom or a well-lit corner.

Snake Plant.

The expert revealed: "The snake plant is an amazing air purifier. It is one of the few plants that can convert carbon dioxide into oxygen at night, making it an excellent choice for bedrooms.

"It also effectively removes a range of toxins, including formaldehyde, benzene, Xylene, and trichloroethylene. It's upright, architectural leaves not only look modern but also have a large surface area to capture dust particles."