The kitchen is generally one of the places in the house where bad odors condense. Whether it’s in the refrigerator, the sink, the trash can, the oven or the environment itself, there’s always an unpleasant odor to combat. And the more these odors accumulate in the kitchen, the more likely it is to make the whole house smelly. We then feel a feeling of suffocation at home.
Whether they come from the oven, the pipes, the fridge or the hob, these odors must absolutely be eliminated in time to prevent the air in the kitchen from becoming unbreathable.
Since we spend a lot of time in this room, it is urgent to find a radical solution. Did you know that to guarantee pure and healthy air in your kitchen, sometimes you just need to install a small plant there?
Indeed, beyond their attractive aesthetic, certain indoor plants are recognized for their depolluting action. They are therefore not only there to adorn a room, they above all have the capacity to purify and regenerate the ambient air, filter toxins and absorb bad odors.
Discover 6 superb plants that can both bring a touch of greenery to your kitchen and get rid of all those unpleasant smells.
Mother-in-law’s Tongue
From its botanical name Sansevieria, but commonly nicknamed “Mother-in-law’s tongue” because of the leathery texture of its large leaves, this succulent and depolluting plant is ideal for purifying the air. According to several researches, it absorbs more than 100 harmful substances present in the air, including carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, nitrogen monoxide, benzene and xylene. Thus, by transforming these chemical elements into oxygen and regulating ambient humidity, it is good for our health. As a bonus, this plant is robust, resistant and very undemanding in its maintenance. Place it anywhere in your kitchen. Although it grows best in sunny locations, Mother-in-law’s Tongue has no special growing requirements.
Aloe Vera
It’s the plant everyone is talking about. And for good reason, it is particularly popular for its many virtues in the world of cosmetics. From skin to hair, Aloe Vera-based products are multiplying on the market. But beyond its hydrating, healing and softening properties, this succulent plant is also great when it comes to purifying the air in the home. It absorbs toxic substances to make the air purer and healthier. More specifically, it eliminates benzene and formaldehyde. Not to mention that it also absorbs all the electromagnetic waves emitted by some of our devices, such as cell phones, wifi or even microwaves. It will definitely be welcome in your kitchen! Are you allergic to dust mites? Good news, Aloe Vera also removes dust from the environment in which it is installed. And to top it all: as a houseplant it is very easy to grow, you don’t need to take too much care of it! Indeed, this succulent and resistant plant adapts to all environments. You just need to provide it with enough light for it to flourish peacefully. Do not keep it away from the window or on a shelf. Remember to water it a little more often in hot weather, because its leaves are very fragile and risk breaking.
Dracaena
This exotic plant is distinguished by its long, thin stem and pointed leaves. A detox plant par excellence for your interior, Dracaena is well suited to the kitchen environment: it will chase away all unpleasant odors and absorb certain toxic substances, including trichlorethylene. This depolluting plant is also responsible for cleaning up cigarette smoke, the smell of paint and other volatile elements. As a bonus, this bushy tuft brings a real exoticism to the room with its green-yellow striped leaves. Not too demanding, it needs a fairly bright location and regular watering. You should always keep it in a place in the kitchen that is not particularly dark, as this plant needs direct sunlight in the morning and indirect sunlight in the afternoon. Indeed, the shiny color of its leaves requires a sufficient supply of natural light.
Epipremnum Aureum
Known for its long, trailing stems, this plant ideally absorbs moisture from the air in the kitchen caused by fumes from your stove. It also eliminates certain harmful substances such as formaldehyde which comes from carpets and paint on the walls of the house. This beautiful plant is also very popular indoors since it requires very little maintenance and very little watering, especially during the cold months. You can install it on a shelf in the kitchen, letting its charming leaves fall downward, creating a wonderful smell throughout the environment.
Philodendron
This plant is distinguished by its very decorative foliage: a tuft of large leaves with lobed edges, thin climbing stems and the formation of a trunk. To purify, the Philodendron is the perfect weapon. It absorbs all kinds of toxic substances like benzene, trichlorethylene and formaldehyde. A true air purifier, this plant also gets rid of bad odors by leaving the atmosphere scented with a sweet, very fresh scent. It will find an ideal place on a shelf or on the floor. Let it grow upwards, it will also allow you to enhance your kitchen. As a tropical plant, to preserve its beautiful foliage, the Philodendron needs heat, light and humidity. The best would be to install it near a window, provided that it does not favor direct exposure to the sun, as this risks burning its leaves. Water it regularly in summer and spray it only during cold periods.
The Rubber Fig Tree
The Ficus Elastica, more commonly nicknamed “Rubber Fig”, is a very popular houseplant which is distinguished by its large, shiny green leaves. When flowering, its coral shoots are most beautiful. We like its excellent resistance, its imposing size and its ease of maintenance. An air purifier, the rubber fig tree cleans the air perfectly: its leaves can even eliminate more than 12 micrograms of formaldehyde per hour! Withstanding low light and humidity, it is generally installed in shaded corners of the house. However, it grows faster with good lighting: it will therefore find its place in a fairly bright corner of the kitchen where the temperature is slightly higher than elsewhere. Beware of drafts, he doesn’t like that!
Warning: All these plants can only retain a small part of the harmful substances present in the air. If you have any health concerns or allergies, please consult an expert.
