Searching for natural cleaners? Let the plants help clean. Here’s how.

Plants can actually help clean the air in your home. And all you have to do is give them a little sun and water.

Ideally we would all live in an organic, toxin-free home where we meditated every day and only used locally-made products, without the distraction of beeping devices, insanely crazy schedules, and the constant call to action: “MOM!”

But we live in the real world.

And I’ll try just about anything that makes my family healthier and is easy to implement. Let’s face it, trying to get a toddler to eat more leafy greens, no matter how you hide them in his food, is just not a realistic part of my mommy-hood.

So I turn to things like plants that help clean the air in our home.

There are specific kinds of plants that can actually clean out toxins that are just a natural part of living in a modern world with manufactured and processed possessions.

My favorite air-cleaning plant has always been the Spider Plant. It helps filter the air of formaldehyde and xylene. Formaldehyde can be released into the air from wood products like particle board and it’s in some floor finishes, paints, and varnishes. And it’s created by cigarette smoking. Xylene is also found in some paint and varnishes, plus in cleaners, rubber, leather, fabrics and paper.

Check out the Associated Landscape Contractors of America study that was completed to find out other common indoor plants that act as natural cleaners, and help remove toxins in the air.

And, beyond just adding more air-cleaning plants to your home, turning to natural cleaners are a great way to help reduce toxins in the air from the start. While some natural cleaners are more expensive, you can save a lot of money by making your own with just little bit of work. (Yes, I’m the mom who made baby food and used cloth diapers, too.)

If you mix your own cleaners, most natural cleaners are based on some combination of vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide. ApartmentTherapy has a list of 25 natural cleaning recipes for almost every kind of cleaning situation.

Have any tips to help keep our homes healthier? I’d love to know about them. Send us a note, or share your ideas below.