If you’re constantly tempted by the the plant section of your neighborhood grocery or home improvement store, here’s your permission to invest in some leafy greens. Of five plant species tested in a new study published in Atmospheric Environment, one was shown to reduce indoor pollutants by more than 90 percent. The detoxing darling? A peace lily!
“The peace lily is super-common and inexpensive,” says deputy features editor Carina Hsieh, MPH, during the latest episode of The Huddle, the Women’s Health podcast where we talk sports, sweat, and everything in between.
According to Hsieh, peace lilies help clean the air by absorbing what are called “volatile organic compounds,” which are essentially chemicals you can find in a lot of everyday products like cosmetics, cleaners, and paints.
The study was conducted using a set-up called an active living wall (basically, a vertical garden), so replicating the exact results at home may be tricky. “It might not be that having a bunch of peace lilies on your, like, IKEA shelf, will do the same thing,” Hsieh says. “But it's worth noting.”
Another things to keep in mind: Peace lilies are poisonous to cats and dogs, so they might not be the best option for pet parents. In that case, consider getting a good old HEPA air purifier for a similar effect.
To hear more about the plant study (including one very big warning), watch the full episode of The Huddle above.
