Does Spider Plant Remove Carbon Monoxide

Spider plants do not remove carbon monoxide in any meaningful way.
 
If you’ve been wondering whether a spider plant can remove carbon monoxide from your home, the short answer is no.
 
While spider plants are celebrated for their air-purifying abilities, carbon monoxide is not something they can handle.
 
Research shows that spider plants remove carbon monoxide at such low levels that it’s essentially ineffective for improving indoor air safety.
 
In this post, we’ll explore what the does spider plant remove carbon monoxide question really means, what these plants do remove from the air, and what actually works for carbon monoxide elimination.
 
Let’s dig into the details.
 

Does Spider Plant Remove Carbon Monoxide? Let’s Look at the Facts

Let’s address the question directly: does spider plant remove carbon monoxide effectively?
 

What the Research Actually Says

The idea that spider plants remove carbon monoxide comes from a misunderstanding of NASA’s Clean Air Study.
 
That study focused on volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene.
 
It did not test whether spider plant remove carbon monoxide from indoor air.
 
When researchers later looked specifically at spider plants and carbon monoxide removal, they found negligible results.
 
A spider plant can absorb a trace amount of CO through leaf pores, but the volume is far too small to matter in a real home.
 
So while you’ll see claims online that spider plants remove carbon monoxide, the scientific evidence doesn’t support it.
 

Why Spider Plants Cannot Remove Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a simple molecule that plants don’t use or process.
 
Unlike carbon dioxide, which plants absorb for photosynthesis, carbon monoxide is actually toxic to most living organisms.
 
Spider plants do not remove carbon monoxide because they lack the enzymes needed to break it down.
 
Even in controlled lab conditions, the amount of CO a spider plant can remove is barely measurable.
 
To put it plainly, relying on a spider plant to remove carbon monoxide from your home is not a safe strategy.
 
The plant simply doesn’t have the biological machinery to do that job.
 

Common Misconceptions About Spider Plants and Carbon Monoxide

You might see blog posts or social media claims saying spider plants remove carbon monoxide because they’re good air purifiers.
 
That confusion comes from mixing up VOCs with carbon monoxide.
 
Spider plants are phenomenal at removing certain indoor pollutants, but carbon monoxide isn’t one of them.
 
So when someone asks does spider plant remove carbon monoxide, the honest answer is no, not to any degree that matters.
 

What Spider Plants Do Remove From Indoor Air

Now that we know spider plants don’t remove carbon monoxide, let’s talk about what they do remove.
 

Formaldehyde

Spider plants are absolute champions at removing formaldehyde from indoor air.
 
Formaldehyde is found in furniture, carpets, cleaning products, and pressed wood.
 
A single spider plant can remove up to 95% of formaldehyde in a sealed chamber within 24 hours.
 
This is where the spider plant’s air-purifying reputation comes from.
 

Benzene and Xylene

These are common VOCs found in gasoline, paints, solvents, and cigarette smoke.
 
Spider plants can remove benzene and xylene from the air effectively.
 
So while a spider plant won’t remove carbon monoxide, it does help clean other harmful pollutants.
 

Other VOCs

Spider plants also remove toluene, ethylbenzene, and other volatile organic compounds.
 
This makes them one of the most effective houseplants for general indoor air quality.
 
But again, none of this means spider plant remove carbon monoxide from your home.
 

How to Actually Remove Carbon Monoxide From Your Home

Since spider plants don’t remove carbon monoxide, here’s what actually works.
 

Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors

The only reliable way to know if CO is present is with a detector.
 
Place one on every level of your home, especially near bedrooms.
 
This is far more effective than depending on a spider plant to remove carbon monoxide.
 

Source Control Is Key

Carbon monoxide comes from incomplete combustion of fuels.
 
Gas stoves, furnaces, water heaters, and cars in attached garages are common sources.
 
Regular maintenance of these appliances prevents CO buildup.
 
No amount of spider plants can remove carbon monoxide from a faulty furnace.
 

Ventilation and Air Exchange

Opening windows and using exhaust fans helps dilute carbon monoxide levels.
 
Activated carbon filters in air purifiers can also help, but they need to be designed specifically for gas removal.
 
Again, a spider plant cannot remove carbon monoxide through normal ventilation.
 

Use a High-Quality Air Purifier With Activated Carbon

If you’re concerned about carbon monoxide indoors, look for an air purifier with a thick activated carbon filter.
 
These filters are designed to adsorb gases like carbon monoxide.
 
Pair that with proper ventilation and detector use for complete safety.
 

So, Does Spider Plant Remove Carbon Monoxide?

Spider plants do not remove carbon monoxide in any meaningful way.
 
If you’ve been wondering whether a spider plant can remove carbon monoxide, the short answer is no.
 
While spider plants are fantastic at removing formaldehyde, benzene, and other VOCs, carbon monoxide is simply not a pollutant they can handle.
 
For carbon monoxide safety, rely on detectors, source control, ventilation, and specialized air purifiers.
 
But do keep your spider plant around — it’s still doing great things for your indoor air, just not when it comes to carbon monoxide removal.