Indoor air can contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde from furniture, carpets, and cleaning products. Fortunately, nature provides a simple solution through certain houseplants that actively filter these toxins while adding beauty to our homes.
Illinois residents dealing with sealed winter homes can especially benefit from these natural air purifiers that thrive in the state’s typical indoor conditions.
1. Spider Plant: The Resilient Air Cleaner
Spider plants hang gracefully with their arching leaves and little “babies” dangling from long stems. They’re incredibly forgiving for beginners and can thrive in Illinois’ varying indoor light conditions.
Research shows they remove significant amounts of formaldehyde within 24 hours of exposure. Place them in hanging baskets in your kitchen or living room where formaldehyde levels are often highest from pressed wood products and cooking fumes.
2. Peace Lily: Elegant Toxin Fighter
Peace lilies stand out with their glossy dark green leaves and stunning white blooms. Beyond their beauty, these plants excel at breaking down formaldehyde molecules in your Illinois home.
Unlike many flowering plants, peace lilies thrive in low light, perfect for north-facing windows during Illinois’ shorter winter days. Just one medium-sized plant can purify air in a 10×10 foot room, making them efficient choices for bedrooms and home offices.
3. Boston Fern: Humidity-Loving Purifier
Lush and feathery, Boston ferns bring a touch of woodland charm while actively cleaning your air. During Illinois winters when indoor heating creates dry conditions, these plants appreciate regular misting.
Boston ferns ranked among the top performers in NASA’s clean air study, removing more formaldehyde than almost any other plant tested. Their delicate fronds provide enormous surface area for absorption, making them natural air-filtering powerhouses for Illinois homes with pressed-wood furniture or new carpeting.
4. Snake Plant: Nighttime Oxygen Factory
Snake plants feature tall, sword-like leaves with yellow edges that stand upright in striking patterns. Unlike most plants, they release oxygen at night, making them perfect bedroom companions during Illinois’ long winter nights.
These tough plants survive neglect and thrive in the inconsistent temperatures common near Illinois windows. Their specialized leaf cells efficiently break down formaldehyde from sources like facial tissues, paper towels, and personal care products while you sleep.
5. Pothos: The Nearly Indestructible Vine
Pothos vines cascade beautifully with heart-shaped leaves in various patterns of green, gold, or white. They continue purifying air even in less-than-ideal conditions, perfect for busy Illinois households.
Place pothos on shelves near furniture that off-gases formaldehyde, like bookcases or entertainment centers. Their trailing stems can grow several feet long, allowing one plant to filter air throughout a room. Even in the low winter light of Illinois homes, pothos keeps working to clean your air.
6. Rubber Plant: Bold Formaldehyde Fighter
Rubber plants make dramatic statements with their large, glossy leaves in deep green or burgundy. Their thick, waxy leaves are particularly effective at trapping and processing formaldehyde from plywood and particleboard.
Well-suited to Illinois homes, rubber plants tolerate temperature fluctuations near windows and doors during seasonal changes. As they grow taller, their increased leaf surface area provides even more air-cleaning power. One mature plant can significantly reduce formaldehyde levels in a medium-sized Illinois living room.
7. Aloe Vera: Healing Air and Skin
Aloe vera’s spiky, succulent leaves store water and powerful healing compounds. Beyond their medicinal benefits, these plants continuously filter formaldehyde from common household products like dish soap and laundry detergents.
During Illinois winters, aloe thrives on sunny windowsills where many plants struggle. When the plant develops brown spots, it’s a visual indicator of high pollution levels in your home. As a bonus, the gel inside can soothe winter-dry skin and minor burns common in Illinois’ heated indoor environments.
8. Dracaena: Striking Vertical Purifier
Dracaenas grow tall with fountain-like foliage in various patterns, adding architectural interest while cleaning your air. Their strappy leaves come in green, red, or cream stripes, bringing color to Illinois homes during gray winter months.
These plants excel at removing formaldehyde from furniture varnishes and wood products. Dracaenas grow slowly but steadily in average Illinois home conditions, with minimal light requirements. Their height makes them perfect for purifying air in rooms with high ceilings common in older Illinois homes.
9. Chinese Evergreen: Low-Light Champion
Chinese evergreens feature stunning patterned leaves in silver, green, and pink that brighten dim corners. For Illinois homes with limited natural light during short winter days, these plants continue purifying air even in shadowy spots.
NASA research confirmed their ability to remove formaldehyde from indoor environments with minimal light. As they mature, Chinese evergreens produce flowers similar to peace lilies, adding unexpected beauty. They thrive in the consistent temperatures maintained in most Illinois homes year-round.
10. Bamboo Palm: Tropical Air Freshener
Bamboo palms create a tropical oasis with their feathery fronds while tackling serious air quality issues. Their extensive leaf surface area makes them powerhouses for removing formaldehyde from furniture, cabinetry, and flooring.
Despite Illinois’ cold winters, these palms thrive indoors, reaching impressive heights of 5-7 feet when mature. They prefer the consistent temperatures found in most Illinois homes. During winter months when homes are sealed tight, bamboo palms continue working overtime to clean recirculated air.
11. Philodendron: Heart-Shaped Leaf Wonder
Philodendrons charm with their heart-shaped leaves in various sizes and growing habits. Some climb trellises while others form compact bushes, all while efficiently absorbing formaldehyde through their leaves.
These adaptable plants forgive irregular watering schedules in busy Illinois households. Their tropical nature actually benefits from Illinois’ indoor heating during winter months. Particularly effective against formaldehyde from paper products and household cleaners, philodendrons continue purifying even when growth slows during shorter Illinois days.
12. Areca Palm: Natural Humidifier
Areca palms feature delicate, arching fronds that filter formaldehyde while adding moisture to dry Illinois winter air. Their graceful appearance brings resort vibes to homes during long Midwestern winters.
These palms ranked highly in NASA’s clean air study for removing multiple toxins simultaneously. Beyond formaldehyde removal, they release significant moisture through transpiration, acting as natural humidifiers. This dual benefit helps Illinois residents combat both indoor air pollution and the dry conditions caused by winter heating systems.
13. Ficus Tree: Stately Air Purifier
Ficus trees grow into impressive indoor specimens with glossy leaves and braided or straight trunks. Their substantial leaf surface area provides exceptional formaldehyde filtering capacity for larger Illinois homes.
Though sometimes finicky about changes, once established in a spot with consistent Illinois indoor temperatures, ficus trees provide years of air-cleaning benefits. Their ability to remove formaldehyde from carpeting, furniture, and paper products makes them valuable additions to newly renovated spaces or homes with recent furniture deliveries.
14. English Ivy: Classic Trailing Cleanser
English ivy creates elegant cascades of pointed, lobed leaves that actively combat airborne toxins. Research shows it’s particularly effective at filtering formaldehyde from household products and building materials.
During Illinois winters, ivy continues growing and purifying in cool rooms where other plants might struggle. Its trailing nature makes it perfect for elevated spots where vines can hang freely, maximizing exposure to air currents. Place ivy in bathrooms to combat formaldehyde from paper products and personal care items in these smaller Illinois spaces.
15. Chrysanthemum: Flowering Formaldehyde Eliminator
Potted chrysanthemums bring bursts of color while working hard to clean your air. Their vibrant blooms in yellow, pink, or white brighten Illinois homes during gray winter months.
When kept as houseplants, chrysanthemums excel at breaking down formaldehyde molecules from common sources like detergents and plastic items. Though not typically long-lasting indoors, they provide intense air purification during their blooming period. For Illinois residents, rotating several plants through your home provides continuous cleaning power and changing color accents.
16. Gerbera Daisy: Cheerful Detoxifier
Gerbera daisies produce large, bright blooms in rainbow colors while removing formaldehyde from your Illinois home. Their cheerful flowers provide emotional benefits during long Illinois winters when outdoor gardens are dormant.
NASA research revealed gerberas are surprisingly effective air purifiers, especially against formaldehyde from paper goods and fabric treatments. Though requiring more light than some houseplants, they thrive in the sunny windows of Illinois homes. Their relatively compact size makes them perfect for brightening and purifying smaller spaces like home offices.
17. Dwarf Date Palm: Elegant Toxin Remover
Dwarf date palms create striking focal points with their architectural fronds while silently filtering formaldehyde. Their compact size makes them suitable for Illinois apartments and smaller homes where space is limited.
These slow-growing palms provide years of air-cleaning benefits with minimal maintenance. They’re particularly effective against formaldehyde released from furniture and building materials. During Illinois’ cold months when windows stay closed, dwarf date palms continue purifying recirculated indoor air, helping maintain healthier breathing environments.
18. Weeping Fig: Graceful Air Improver
Weeping figs feature delicate, drooping branches covered in small, pointed leaves. Though sometimes dropping leaves when relocated, they become powerful air purifiers once settled in Illinois homes.
Their dense foliage creates maximum surface area for capturing and processing formaldehyde from household products. Weeping figs prefer consistent temperatures typical in Illinois homes, away from drafts and heating vents. When mature, these impressive trees can filter air throughout large living spaces, making them valuable investments in long-term indoor air quality.