At some point someone thought it’d be a good idea to clean their house around Spring. Some researchers say the origin of the Spring clean we know traces back to the Persian New Year, which falls on the first day of Spring. Just before this day, it was a tradition for everything to be thoroughly cleaned.

Another slightly more complex possibility of its origin dates back to the ancient Jewish practice of thoroughly cleaning the home before the Springtime festival of Passover. During this week-long observance of the Passover holiday, there are strict rules on eating or drinking anything that may have been fermented or leavened. Jewish people are not only supposed to refrain from eating these foodstuffs but must rid their homes of any remnants of it too.

Today people in Australia do a Spring clean of varying degrees, but not necessarily at Springtime. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere the weather isn’t too wild, there’s generally not a great need for a full Spring clean.

But…there is something else you can do to breathe a bit more life into your home and make it seem cleaner and fresher – add some indoor plants. Whether it’s a fancy Fiddleleaf or fern, indoor plants can really transform your living spaces.

Here’s the top 3 reasons why you should add plants to your space:

1. Effortless Style

Even if interior design isn’t your strong suit, plants can really add a little style to your place. You can choose a larger plant as a statement piece and really create an atmosphere or add warmth to a clinical space. Of course, you can add more than one plant, some people like to have a jungle like collection at home! The key to this is layering – creating groupings to add visual depth to the room. Indoor plants are a great option to fill empty spaces, they can be the perfect finishing touches for shelves and benchtops and can also be a practical solution for creating privacy. It’s also a low cost way to add a vibe to your space.

2. Clean air

There are health benefits associated with having plants indoors – both physical and mental. With pollution leaking into homes from city streets around us, plants indoors can help clean the air in your space. Plants clean the air by absorbing harmful toxins, breaking them down and storing them in their soil to be used as food.

Many studies show the benefits of being in touch with nature having a positive impact on our mental health. With so many of us living in cities now, we crave a connection with a natural environment, but don’t always get it. Bringing the outside in helps satisfy that desire and also, the improved air quality will have a subconscious calming effect – very important now that a lot of us are working from home.

In a time where conscious design is making a splash in the interior market, having a home that’s good for your wellbeing will also improve sales potential, moving on to my next point!

3. Great for selling your home

When you walk into a home with greenery, you instantly feel happy. And we all know when selling your home, first impressions count more than anything. By thoughtfully placing plants in your home you can give your space a sense of scale or even draw attention to specific features. For example, tall plants can draw your eye up and amplify the ceiling – great if you have high ceilings.

They’re also a great substitute for personal items like family photos. Greenery is a simple way to fill empty spaces without it looking too staged. The addition of plants will give your home a warm friendly feel – perfect for selling.

Green up this weekend!

There are stacks of nurseries now with affordable options for your homes. Many new hip nurseries even have cafes, so you can get your coffee fix and plant fix in one go!