Awair is an indoor toxin tracker that monitors pollutants such as dust, humidity, chemicals, CO2 and temperature. It gives you an overall score for your air quality plus individual numbers for each tracker.
I found this fascinating to use and tried it our in various rooms. Generally the air quality in my home is good although the humidity has been high at times and so have the chemicals. However what I discovered was the dustiest room (lots of bookshelves collecting the stuff) didn't actually register as having a problem with it. It was only when the dust was disturbed moving books around and dust went into the air that it triggered the monitor. There must be a moral here somewhere!
To use Awair you download the App onto a smartphone and you can check in at any time so see what's going on with your air quality. What I particularly like is that you can monitor trends – my rooms score less at midday – and there are tips to help you counteract any problems. Here are Awair's top ten house plants for clean air:
Bamboo removes benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde while also adding moisture to the air to act as a natural humidifier. Plus, some say keeping bamboo shoots in your home will bring you good luck. Thats a win-win-win in our book.
Aloe Vera is a big formaldehyde filter and it’s another win-win plant since it can be used to treat sunburns.
Spider Plant, rated by NASA’s Clean Air Study as one of the top three plants for removing formaldehyde and other toxins, grows very quickly and sprouts tons of baby spider plants year-round, making this a great choice for filling your home without spending a lot.
Peace Lily is most noted for its talents of removing airborne chemicals from cleaning products. A good idea to keep this plant in your kitchen, bathroom and other rooms that are heavily cleaned.
Dracaena plant is best at removing trichloroethylene. If you use any heavy-duty cleaning products in your workshop or garage, consider placing this plant there to help filter the air.
Boston Fern removes formaldehyde better than any other plant, so make sure to keep at least one of these in your home. They also act as great natural humidifiers like the bamboo.
Golden Pothos process general air toxins well and are easy to grow and keep alive. If you don’t have a green thumb, start with this plant to ensure success.
English Ivy, a hazard for the exterior of buildings, makes a helpful house plant. It excels at removing benzene from the air so it’s a great choice if anyone in your family suffers from asthma.
Gerbera Daisy is pretty and removes benzene and absorbs tons of carbon dioxide so you are guaranteed get a lot of clean air from this flower.
Garden Mums remove all three major toxins very well. Rid your house of benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde, and the bonus of ammonia with this colourful plant.
So pick your favorite plants and start populating your home with these natural air filters. Your lungs and body will thank you.
PWT rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Awair £159 / getawair.co.uk Awair also connects with smart products like Nest, Amazon Echo, and IFTTT to automatically optimise your air throughout the day. You can see your air quality score on your device or on an app, where you can track improvements over time.