House plants are great. Not only do they look nice and brighten up a room, but they also improve indoor air quality. 

Some of them, though, are better than others at cleaning up the air. Here is a list of 7 popular house plants and how they help clean the air.

1. Areca Palm: This bushy palm, generates a whole lot of oxygen. Four plants per person is ideal, but you still get the benefits even if you only have room in your house for one

2. Money plant: This common house plant actually cleans the air. It filters out the harmful volatile organic compounds (VOC) like formaldehyde from the air. These plants are especially great if you've just purchased a newly constructed home, painted the walls, installed new carpet (or other flooring), etc. since VOCs are usually higher during those times. Also a great climbing plant.

3. English Ivy: A great climbing plant, English Ivy can be trained to grow across shelves and over bookcases. It grows fast.

4. Mother-in-Law's Tongue: This plant makes most of its oxygen in the evening, so it's great for bedrooms. Treat it right and it will reward you with a flower stalk.

5. Spider Plant: This is a great looking plant that is easy to grow, and easier to propagate. When a new clump forms at the end of a stalk, just break it off and stick it in a new pot. It also has little white flowers from time to time.

6. Peace Lily: Here's an easy to grow plant that rewards you with flowers throughout the year. They used to be sold in vases that had a Beta fish in them.

7. Rubber Plant: This plant can get big, so make sure you give it a big pot.

So, there you have it. Many other house plants also do a great job at improving indoor air quality. Just do a quick Google search to find some more.

NASA also did a study on air filtering plants, click here to see their results.