When work life becomes so stressful and demanding, you have to sometimes remind yourself to breathe in and out. Wouldn’t it be nice if you can come home to a breathable space — some place where you can freely let all the tension out and let the fresh air in? If you are living in a condo, you may ask how. Condos are usually a 30-square meter space in a high-rise building where large windows and natural ventilation is a luxury. If you can’t afford a balcony or a corner unit with more windows, we’re pretty sure you can afford plants. Yes, plants. Condo plants will surely make your little place more vibrant and smelling fresh. The good news is that for all the countless benefits of condo plants, they are easy to grow and they don’t have to take up much of the space.
Getting indoor plants for your condo will not only improve the over-all look and feel, it will also help fight pollution. The US Environmental Protection Agency found in its studies that indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. It is no surprise that indoor air pollutants have been ranked among the top five environmental risks to public health. Air contaminants are formed because of combustion sources like oil and gas, building materials and furnishings like paint and wood furniture, household cleaning materials, heating and cooling systems and humidifiers found in the home.
Our science education tells us that plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. More recently, a research by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also confirmed that house plants remove up to 87% of air toxins in a 24-hour period. A study by the Washington State University also found that people exposed to indoor plants are less stressed than those without keep us healthy. The American Horticultural Therapy Association also found that indoor plants make people happy as it improves mood, increases the feelings of calm and stability, and generally improves the sense of well-being.
There are many ways to put up a garden in your condo to personalize your living space. Plants are necessary not only in improving air quality but also in making condo living stress-free and a little bit more calm. There is a perfect condo plant for every condo dweller, every lifestyle, and every corner. So read on to find out.
Plants for the kitchen
The kitchen is where food is prepared and living in a condo means the dwellers have to dine near the kitchen too. Thus, it is important that the kitchen and the dining area have a good air quality. Warneck Dracaena is easy to grow even without direct sunlight. It is known to combat pollutants associated with oils, making it handy to have in the kitchen. Growing scented geraniums will also eliminate kitchen odor as these houseplants give out the scents of lemon, rose and cinnamon. The relaxing fragrance might also just help you get in the mood to cook.
Keeping an aloe vera in your kitchen window is also advised for families with children. Aside from aloe’s air-cleaning abilities, the gel inside it can also help heal cuts and burns and can very well augment every parent’s first aid kit.
Plants for the bathroom
It is also nice to walk in a bathroom with potted greens. The snake plant is perfect to keep in your condo bathroom because it is best for filtering out formaldehyde which is common in cleaning products. It also thrives with low light and in humid conditions. The English Ivy is also highly-recommended in the bathroom as it reduces airborne fecal-matter particles.
Plants for the bedroom
Who doesn’t want peace and quiet when trying to rest and sleep? The Peace Lily can give you more peace of mind. It topped NASA’s list for removing all three most common pollutants namely formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. It is also perfect to keep in the room as it survives in low lighting and weekly watering. If the dwellers are busy professionals, this is the perfect condo plant for you.
In your child’s room, put a chrysanthemum near an open window with direct sunlight. The blooms filter out benzene commonly found in glue and paint. Chrysanthemum will make “art hour” more fun and the pink blooms will definitely get girls nodding in agreement. A zeezee plant is also perfect for the kids’ room as it lasts so long that even rowdy children will find it a challenge to kill it. The zeezee is often called the eternity plant and tolerates low light and neglect.
Plants for the living room
The living area should be free of pollutants because it is where the family gets together and where guests are entertained. A weeping fig is a good condo plant to have as it filters out pollutants that typically come with carpeting and furniture. The Chinese Evergreen is also among the healthiest indoor plants as it is known to combat a variety of pollutants and removes more toxins as time and exposure continues. It is easy to grow even with low light. The Chinese Evergreen produces blooms and red berries making them a pretty addition to a corner in your living room. Another indoor favorite is the Bamboo Palm as it is known to filter out both benzene and trichloroethylene and also produces blooms.
The NASA suggests that to ensure a considerable degree of air detox, there must be a plant for every ten square yards of a home. This means that if you were to fill corners and rooms in your condo at least one plant, you can be assured that there is something out there fighting pollutants to improve the air quality that you and your family take in. You can also be sure that you will be coming home to a livelier and happier place. Plants have a therapeutic nature. Just looking at them makes everything seem brighter. This is why having plants can make the hustle and bustle of condo living more bearable, more peaceful, and more vibrant.
