Houseplants and Air Quality

Probably I shouldn't have jinxed myself with the norovirus because both Chris and Ava threw up and had to come home from work and school.  And they both aren't doing all that great today.  I am totally waiting for the other foot to drop.

I can't even begin to tell you how true this is from a microbiological standpoint!

This morning at 7 I opened a bunch of windows in our house to circulate the bad air out and the good air in.  They say that if people would have done this during the Plague that thousands upon thousands would have lived, but of course, they could barely afford to heat their homes so that would be the last thing they would have done.

Coincidentally, I bough a snake plant the day before everyone got sick, and it happens to make the top 15 houseplants for air quality by the NASA.  Here is a link to an article about it, and here is the list:  (I think I posted this list a year or so ago)

1. Philodendron scandens `oxycardium', heartleaf philodendron 
2. Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron 
3. Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana', cornstalk dracaena 
4. Hedera helix, English ivy 
5. Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant 
6. Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig', Janet Craig dracaena 
7. Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii', Warneck dracaena 
8. Ficus benjamina, weeping fig 
9. Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos 
10. Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa', peace lily 
11. Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron 
12. Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen 
13. Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm 
14. Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant 
15. Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena

And they also recommend that a house 2000 square feet or smaller is supposed to have 15 different types.  Um, I don't know about your house, but mine does not have room to have 15 types of plants just hanging around begging for my kids to dig in them.

Here's three on the list that are highly ubiquitous and should be easy to find.

Spider Plant

Snake Plant

Bamboo

I'm halfway serious about rushing out while I still can and buying a bunch more plants to toss around the house in the hopes that it would make a difference.  Although, I don't think that the plants are really helpful with biological agents.  Maybe the placebo effect?  I think they'll help so therefore they will?

Here's to hoping that the three babies and myself don't get sick.  Chris has massive projects due on Friday of a very important nature and wouldn't be able to stay home and nurse us back to health.  I am having a hard time imagining myself feeding and cleaning up puke in between puking myself.   Yuck.