From ivy to peace lily, the ‘best’ plants that ‘fight condensation’ & ‘remove mould’ but also make your house look nice
Cold air outside and warm houses are the perfect combination for condensation to form.
But you needn’t spend money on fancy gadgets like window vacs or dehumidifiers - you just need a few plants positioned around the house to stop getting wet windows.
Claire, also known as on TikTok, likes to share her’ DIY and home styling on a budget’ tips with her 28.2k followers.
In a recently video, she shared “five of the best” plants that “help fight condensation and remove airborne mould”.
They are: English Ivy (piisonous), palms, peace lily, spider plants and tillandsia (airplants).
She said the plants were “great natural dehumidifiers - assuming you can keep them alive”.
Claire also claimed the plants can “improve the quality of the air” but noted “not all plants thrive in a humid atmosphere so you need to check what you buy”.
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She told her followers: “Unsurprisingly, the most effective dehumidifiers are those that like a moist and humid atmosphere like snake plants, orchids, peace lilies, palms and ferns.
“Some plants will also purify the air by removing airborne mound spores for example English Ivy (you should hang this rather than leave lying around as it is toxic to pets or children), rubber plants and even chrysanthemums.
“It’s unlikely that plants will solve all your condensation issues if you are rationing the central heating during these very cold temperatures, but they will certainly help and look nice while they do it,” Claire added.
English Ivy (poisonous)
When it comes to tackling mould, English ivy is cited as one of the best plants.
And because it’s native to our home nation, it’s a cheap plant to buy.
For English ivy to grow best, place it in bright, indirect light, and its soil should be kept moist.
But remember, its leaves are toxic to animals and so pet owners should be sure to keep the plant out of reach.
Palms
Palms look great along the beach front but also in your home - and they’re great at controlling humidity levels too.
Palms can keep mould at bay by soaking up moisture through their leaves.
The best varieties include the lady palm, dwarf palm and reed palm.
To care for your palm, it needs soil that is not too moist and not too dry, and a indirect sunny spot.
Peace Lily
Not only does a peace lily add a pretty touch to any room with its flowers, the leaves are brilliant at removing moisture from the air.
For them to grow happily, they like shade and high humidity areas - ideal for a bathroom where mould grows.
Similar to English ivy, though, peace lilies should be kept away from pets due to their toxicity levels.
Spider plants
Another “excellent natural dehumidifier” is the spider plant that loves to absorb excess moisture from the air.
They are a low-maintenance plant and thrive in different lighting conditions making it the ideal plant for any room.
Spider plants also produce baby plants quickly, meaning you can have several new plants from the original one you bought!
Tilandsia (air plant)
Perhaps a plant you’ve not heard or seen before, a tilandsia is a funnel-shaped plant with triangle-shaped leaves and they are a unique variety in houseplants.
Unlike 99.9 per cent of other houseplants, tilandsia’s don’t live in soil - instead they get everything they need from the air, hence the common name, air plant.
They are really good at absorbing moisture from the air, so they can help reduce humidity levels.
With no soil they’re super easy to look after. Place them on a shelf, bookshelf or windowsill, or even a glass jar.
But other than that, treat them like any other houseplant. And they need a good amount of light to survive.
Give them a good drink every week by drenching them in the water for 10-15 minutes, and they will last quite a long time.
