Why You Should Use Plants To Dehumidify Your Office

If you have a plant-free office, you may find it looks somewhat dull. In such circumstances, bringing in some greenery may seem the obvious thing to do.

However, that consideration alone could lead to you only bringing in artificial plants. These may not be a bad thing in some settings, especially a lobby or reception that already has lots of air circulation and therefore doesn’t need natural plants to enhance an indoor microclimate. Instead, you can focus on aesthetic appearance and its impact on visitors.

The situation in a more enclosed office space may be somewhat different. Where there is less airflow, such as in the absence of a strong air conditioning system, having plants in offices can make a real difference.

Much of this may focus on the capacity of plants to suck toxins out of the air, making for a healthier environment. But they can also be very useful for controlling humidity.

If the air in your office is a bit humid, the consequences could be rather unpleasant. When it is cooler, it can lead to dampness, damaging carpets and even threatening mould and mildew. In summer, it can make the atmosphere sticky and soporific, making people sweat more and feel drowsy, getting less work done.

True, you could run a de-humidifier, but this will only add to company electricity bills and if it stops working, you will have a big problem until it is either fixed or replaced.

That is why you should consider the option of bringing in the kind of indoor plants that can suck moisture out of the air. They don’t just keep energy bills down; they are lower maintenance and work all day without anyone needing to remember to switch them on.

Speaking to Country Living last summer, a spokesperson for plant experts Jay Scotts said: "Plants are natural dehumidifiers because they absorb water from their surroundings through their leaves and release moisture back out through transpiration.”

Nonetheless, some plants are particularly good at soaking up moisture. Among these are peace lilies, Boston ferns, palms, orchids, spider plants, cacti and English Ivy.

Many of these are plants that can multi-task for you; for example, spider plants, Boston ferns and peace lilies are good at cleaning the air of toxins, so their strong capacity to tackle excess moisture as well can make them a great combination.

Such plants also offer plenty of variety in appearance, from upright, spiky and fleshy cacti to cascading ivy. That means you can enjoy a third advantage; that of aesthetics. The above-named plants are just some of the options for adding moisture-sapping foliage to your office atmosphere, which means you can pick from whatever you think looks good.

Furthermore, the very fact that these plants can suck moisture from the air means they need watering less than others. That means you can easily leave them for the weekend or longer without them coming to any harm.

With such low maintenance needs, aesthetic value and multiple benefits, bringing in plants like this makes a lot of sense in any office prone to humid conditions.