Are you lucky enough to have air conditioning in your home?
Chances are if you, like me, live in the UK, it’s highly unlikely. We don’t get enough consistently hot summers to really warrant it. However, every few years an exceptionally hot one comes along and we’re all left scrambling to deal with it. The retailers quickly sell out of electric fans and besides, do you really want the hike in electricity usage running a fan 24/7 would give you? No, neither do I.
Did you know there might be another way, a more natural way, to keep your room a little cooler?
Enter the humble houseplant.
When humans are surrounded by warm air we react by sweating. This process releases moisture from our skin which, when it’s able to evaporate, helps to cool us.
Plants go through a similar process in that they absorb the warm air around them as well as pumping water up through their roots. They then ‘sweat’ out the extra water through their leaves in an attempt to cool themselves and lower the temperature around them.
It might be time then to hit your local garden centre and invest in a few room coolers which are a bit more eco-friendly than your average electric fan.
Some plants are better at cooling than others so which should you think about buying?
Here are my top 3 suggestions.
1. Aloe Vera plant
This member of the succulent family is most famous for it’s skin soothing properties but because of it’s high water content it also makes for a great air cooler. Also, unlike most plants where light is a major factor, the aloe vera continues to absorb carbon dioxide at night. This process then releases oxygen into the air so keeping an aloe vera in your bedroom may lead to a better night’s sleep!
2. Peace Lily
It makes sense that the larger the surface area of the leaves, the more a plant is able to release moisture into the air and produce that cooling effect. With it’s abundance of verdant leaves and ease of care, the peace lily makes for a great cooling option. Plus, studies have shown it to be one of the best plants to reduce toxins in the air - that’s why you see so many of them in office buildings.
3. Boston Fern
This is one of the easiest house plants to look after as well as adding a lovely softening effect to your decor. As well as it’s abundance of leaves helping the air cooling process, it’s also known to be one of the best natural air humidifiers and improvers of general air quality. Again, this is why you see so many of them in public buildings.
As well as their cooling effect and the additional benefits listed above, scientific research also tells us that including living plants in a room’s decor can have a few more plus points besides, including -
- An increased feeling of general wellbeing
- Lower stress levels
- Lower noise levels
There have also been studies showing higher productivity among staff when plants are introduced to the office environment and lower levels of post-operative pain when plants are introduced to hospital rooms.
With all these benefits along with the ability to potentially lower the room temperature, what are you waiting for?
Time to switch up your home decor and add some plants.
Related content: Stuck in a home decor rut? Time to get out of your comfort zone.
What’s your favourite house plant?
What’s your oldest house plant?
Have you felt the positive effect of plants?
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