Though the right houseplants in your Randleman, North Carolina, home can help clean the air, many homeowners make mistakes when purchasing indoor plants. Instead of cleaning your home’s air, some plant species can aggravate allergies and worsen asthma symptoms.
Roses
Do you get teary-eyed when someone makes a grand romantic gesture and brings you roses? Your tears might be due to allergens.
Rose pollen can exacerbate allergy and asthma symptoms, giving you sinus and respiratory trouble. Some people even get minor rashes when they come into contact with roses.
Next time, hint that you’d rather have an edible bouquet of fruit or a box of chocolate.
Ferns
People usually plant ferns around the house because they aren’t toxic, especially if you have kids or pets. However, people with plant allergies may have a bad reaction to ferns.
Breathing fern spores can exacerbate allergies. Plus, a fern can cause a rash that resembles poison ivy. This is relatively rare but unpleasant to deal with.
Spider Plants
People love to hang spider plants because of their long and elegant leaves. You often see spider plants in office spaces.
These plants are a common allergen, and if you have one hanging anywhere near a fan or a vent, you’ll spread that pollen throughout the house.
Ficus
Though ficus is a common indoor plant, the sap can irritate people with latex allergies. Not touching a ficus isn’t enough. The sap can get on dust particles and fly throughout the house.
Remove these plants from your home if your allergy or asthma symptoms have worsened. Vacuum, dust and change your air filter, and use a wet cloth to wipe down your surfaces.
Charlie’s Heating and Cooling is a great resource for indoor air quality solutions that help free your home from these allergens. Call us today at (336) 629-5453 to learn more.
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