Keep the plants. Give ventilation its own job.

A pothos on the shelf can make a room more pleasant. It does not earn a place in the ventilation calculation. Keep plants because you enjoy them, with ordinary care for watering and the surfaces beneath them.

Some plant research measures the removal of particular chemicals in controlled enclosures. A house has a much larger, changing air volume, ongoing sources and outdoor air moving in and out. A chamber result cannot be read as a promised cleaning rate for a few pots.

The US EPA says there is no evidence that a reasonable number of houseplants remove significant amounts of pollutants in homes and offices. That is the useful boundary when a plant label promises cleaner air.

There is no need to calculate how many ferns could replace the bathroom exhaust fan. Keep the fan functioning and choose a plant for its light and care needs.

Avoid chronically wet soil and water collecting under pots. Follow the plant's watering needs, provide appropriate drainage and check the shelf or floor beneath the saucer. A decorative outer pot can hide a leak until the wood is stained.

If a pot repeatedly smells musty or nearby material stays damp, address that condition. Adding more fragrance or another plant does not resolve a moisture source. Ask an appropriate plant-care specialist about persistent soil problems.

For recurring cooking emissions, use effective kitchen exhaust. For a damp room, identify the moisture source and manage humidity. For a particle problem, consider a properly sized purifier alongside source control. For fresh air, maintain the home's intended ventilation.

Leave supply grilles, returns and heating clearances open when arranging plant stands. Watering should not put electrical appliances, outlets or heating equipment at risk.

A few healthy plants can stay part of the room you like spending time in. Their decorative value does not depend on proving that they remove a particular chemical.