A home that includes ferns as part of the décor greets you with an unmistakably different feeling. The air is alive and clean and the plants are giving off plenty of needed oxygen.

These homes not only feel different because of what the ferns are giving off, but because of what they are taking in. Ferns literally consume the chemical pollutants that pervade most homes today. These pollutants may be the cause of minor irritants and allergies, but they also contribute to more serious respiratory illnesses. For less than the cost of a trip to the pharmacy, ferns can clean the air in your home and make it easier to breathe.

Modern homes can be a minefield of chemical hazards. Carpets, furniture, insulation, paint, and even fireplaces can regularly emit hazardous gases.

Ferns act as natural air filters because they are constantly taking in air through the leaves. All manner of chemicals and compounds then move through the fern and end up exiting through the roots. Bacteria and other microbes in the soil then digest or otherwise break these toxins down.

It sounds ideal, but how effective are ferns at cleaning the air in your home? A 2-year study done by NASA has the answers. Their interest in the concept was to find ways to keep the air in their space stations clean naturally. Ferns were enclosed in glass and exposed to measured amounts of various pollutants, such as benzene and formaldehyde. Their conclusions confirmed that ferns were excellent, natural air filters.

Ferns are inexpensive, ecologically sound, aesthetically pleasing ways to filter toxins from your home. The Foliage for Clean Air Council recommends a minimum of two plants per 100 square feet of floor space in an average home. Although the calculations of the build-up and dispersion of pollutants in the home are complex, ferns can drastically improve the air you breathe.