Homeowner’s Academy
This is your guide to interesting facts, tips and general homeowner information. We hope you find the information useful – and feel free to share with friends!

Best Air-Purifying Indoor Plants for Your Florida Home

Spring cleaning often comes with a fresh coat of paint. Painting can be a great way to change the feel of a room or give your home some great curb appeal. Painting also plays a role in home repair by protecting the wood of your home against the elements, essential here in Florida.

If you decide to try your hand at painting this spring, People’s Trust has some tips that can keep the experience enjoyable and safe for everyone in your family.

Try Some Eco-friendly Paint

Spring conjures up the sniffles for many people in the great outdoors, but paint may do the same thing inside of your home. Household paints have previously contained up to 300 toxic chemicals, including the hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that release particles into the air for years after you paint.

Try a low-VOC paint, which tends to be water-based, for any home interior painting. These have taken off in recent years and come in every shade and finish imaginable. Some brands also create no-VOC paints by replacing chemicals with more natural ingredients. These no-VOC paints are often pet-safe, but always check the label and never leave your pet unattended in a room where paint cans are open.

Home Repair Supervision

If you have children, never let them be in a room with open paint cans by themselves. If children are under the age of 10, they should never be in a room with any open painting materials. Even eco-friendly paints are extremely dangerous if ingested. If you believe your child has ingested any paint, immediately call poison control at 1-800-222-1222.

Try Cloth Catchers for Indoor and Outdoor Painting

You can pick up plastic sheets to protect your floors and lawn, but these often move and tear as you walk around painting. Turn to cloth or canvas drop cloths that will stay in place easier and can be weighed down with objects without the risk of tearing.

For painting the outside of your home, try a tarp with tie-holes. These can be staked into the ground to provide a steadier surface for a ladder.

Ventilate: Make Room to Breathe

If you’re painting inside, open the doors and windows. If your room has a fan, turn it on. You want proper ventilation for any space you’re painting to help air out the room and not breathe in paint fumes. If you can’t ventilate where you’re working, get a respirator and only paint in short stints.

Ventilation is essential to most common home repair improvements.

Stick to the Shade

If painting outside, you know that you need to take a break in the shade, but what about your materials? Paint, paint thinner and lacquer all need to stay in the shade as much as possible when painting outdoors.

Not only can heat and sun alter some of these items when they’re sitting in the can, but heat can also be a big problem for these flammable items. The city of Las Vegas actually warns its citizens to be careful when painting their homes or canvases outside because paint thinner has been ignited by the sun and started home fires.

Clean Up after Home Repairs

When you finish painting for the day, clean up the entire space. This will prevent spills and any accidental exposure.

Latex paints can typically be cleaned from surfaces and your skin with soap and water. Oil-based paints will have specific cleaning instructions located on the paint can itself. Take a look at your can before you start painting and write down what it says, because paint often spills on the outside of the can during the painting process.

Gasoline was once used to clean paint off of brushes, but this should never be used. Gasoline is extremely dangerous and should never be used as a cleaner for any object.

It’s always a smart practice to clean up and watch your space clearly when doing any home repair project.

Ahhh … There’s nothing quite like a breath of fresh air, something we don’t get enough of these days. Our homes are often filled with furniture, building materials, and cleaning products emitting toxins that can be hazardous to our health.

The good news is that there’s an easy and affordable way to reduce some of these indoor air pollutants … plants! Here are eight houseplants that can help purify indoor air in your Florida home.

No green thumb? No problem! These plants are easy to maintain. Even the most agriculturally challenged homeowners can reap the benefits of healthy indoor air quality.

Spider Plant

You couldn’t kill a spider plant if you tried!* This resilient plant is not only very easy to grow, but it also filters out carbon monoxide and other toxins found in leather, rubber, and printing supplies. Spider plants grow best in cool-to-average temperatures and prefer dry soil and bright, indirect sunlight.

Want to have a whole spider plant family? Simply cut off one of the “spiders,” replant it, and it’ll continue to grow even after being removed from the mother plant.

Filters Out: Formaldehyde, Xylene

Gerbera Daisy

This cheerful little bloom will add life and color to any room in your home – not to mention it’s good for filtering out toxins found in dry cleaning chemicals and inks.

For ideal blooming, place gerbera daisies in a prominent spot with lots of sunlight and plant them in a pot with drainage holes.

Filters Out: Trichloroethylene, Benzene

Snake Plant

Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, the snake plant thrives in humid conditions and requires little light. It’s a superstar at filtering out toxins found in cleaning products, toilet paper, tissues, and personal care products – talk about the perfect plant for the bathroom!

Snake plants also absorb carbon dioxide and release a significant amount of oxygen. Place one of these in your bedroom to help you wake up feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.

Filters Out: Trichloroethylene, Formaldehyde, Benzene, Xylene

Boston Fern

The Boston fern has been a popular houseplant since the Victorian era. In addition to its feather-like leaves and curvy fronds, the Boston fern is arguably one of the most effective plants at removing toxins found in glue, wood products, and furniture.

The Boston fern thrives best in humid conditions and prefers bright, filtered light.

Filters Out: Formaldehyde, Xylene

Golden Pothos

Golden pothos is a green and flexible plant that works wonders at removing toxic air pollutants in your home and garage.

It requires minimal sunlight and after a few months its branches will begin to cascade from the basket, making it look like you’ve given it lots of TLC – even if you’ve hardly given it the time of day.

Safety Tip: Golden pothos plants are poisonous and should be kept away from small children and pets.

Filters Out: Formaldehyde, Carbon Monoxide, Benzene

Bamboo Palm

Why not bring the outdoors in? Also known as the reed palm, this small palm is great for purifying toxins and gases released from furniture … not to mention it looks great sitting next to your couch.

The bamboo palm flourishes in cool, humid climates and prefers bright, indirect sunlight.

Filters Out: Formaldehyde, Xylene

No matter your decorating style or budget, you can find houseplants that are a good fit for your home, look great, and most importantly, purify the air within.