Indoor plants, inevitably, can get a bit mucky. They can pick up dust and dirt, and they may even have things spilled on them! We’ve got some great tips for you on how to clean indoor plant leaves – and some of our solutions may surprise you!
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How To Clean Indoor Plant Leaves
Plants, like all of us, like to be kept clean and tidy and looking their best. And, just like us, there are health benefits to your plants!
Plants use the surface area of their leaves to absorb sunlight to turn into energy to grow. If those leaves are covered with layers of dust, it makes it much harder to absorb that all important sunlight.
You can keep on top of the leaf cleaning just by wiping them down with a damp cloth once in a while, or you may have to take stronger measures.
- Take a bowl filled with lukewarm water and a lint-free cloth.
- Soak the cloth in the water, squeeze it out and rub at the leaves.
- If the plant is sticky or really dirty, you may find that you have to rub quite hard – take care if your plant is a thin leaved one!
- Once you have removed any dirt and dust, take another dry cloth and wipe the leaves again to dry them off.
This detailed, step by step article will take you through the best ways to clean your leaves.
How To Make Indoor Plants Leaves Shiny?
Keeping your plant’s leaves healthy is the focus – then you can admire how much more beautiful they look when they are clean!
It’s really easy to do, and there are a great many things you can use to clean your plants’ leaves with – and no, these don’t have to be chemicals, you can even make your own!
It is not recommended that you use commercial “leaf shining” products (yes, these do actually exist) because they can damage the surface of the leaf.
Plants have tiny little holes in their leaves, called stomata, which help oxygen, CO2 and water to pass through, helping the plant to grow.
Leaf shining products can clog up these little holes, making it impossible for your plant to grow.
The best thing to do is to keep on top of your plant’s leaves by wiping them down with a damp cloth every now and then – it doesn’t have to be every day.
You can also give your plants a shower – placing them in the shower tray and letting a gentle stream of water wash over them will mimic the rain, keeping them extra happy!
How To Clean Plant Leaves Naturally?
Of course, you can simply wipe leaves with a damp cloth when you’re passing, but what about making your own plant cleaner at home?
One of the very best options is to use a mixture of lemon juice and water. Simple, cheap and effective:
- Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a gallon of water, and mix it together well.
- Dip a soft cloth in this mixture and rub it over your plant’s leaves (gently!)
- If you mist your plants with tap water, chances are you have some build up on the leaves – lemon juice will remove this.
If you’d rather save your lemons for your evening G&T, you can use water and vinegar – this does the same job, with a few added bonuses:
- Mix a teaspoon of vinegar with a gallon of water, and mix together well (white vinegar or cider vinegar are the best options).
- Gently wipe the mixture onto your plant’s leaves, being careful to not rip them.
- Vinegar is excellent at deterring bugs and beasties, so this method works doubly well for your plants!
As you can see, you don’t need to buy expensive leaf cleaners, or resort to harsh soaps to clean leaves – simple store cupboard basics will do the job!
How To Clean Plant Leaves With Milk?
Ok, I’ll admit it – this does sound a bit weird, right? But, amazingly, it does actually work!
Milk contains nutrients, as we know, but did you know they are good for plants as well as people?
It contains calcium and vitamin B, as well as other proteins and sugars that can work wonders for cell growth – and this includes your houseplants.
Milk can also help your plants to fight off fungal infections and microbes that can cause plants issues – those that are susceptible to powdery mildew especially.
All you need to do is mix up milk and water in a ratio of about 60:40 (the water is the larger number!) in a spray bottle.
Take a clean cloth and spray the milk mixture onto it (you can spray it directly onto your plants but remember that milk smells awful when it goes off, and you don’t really want that all over your walls).
Gently rub the milk and water soaked cloth on both sides of the leaf, and you will notice straight away that it removes residue and restores shine.
You don’t have to rub this mixture off, just leave it to soak into the leaf and impart all its beneficial effects – or you can wipe it off for extra shine!
In case you didn’t believe this tip, here’s a video showing you how to do it yourself:
What Do You Wipe Plant Leaves With?
What you want to avoid doing, when wiping down your plant leaves, is causing them any damage. You’re trying to clean them, not kill them!
This means that your kitchen scouring pads are NOT suitable. You can use the sponge side, just avoid anything scratchy or abrasive!
A soft microfibre cloth is the best thing, as it shouldn’t have any dust or bits clinging to the surface that can exacerbate your problem.
A duster is always a good idea too; these cloths are soft enough that they won’t damage the leaves, yet strong enough to remove grime and dust.
Make sure that your cloth is clean, and you haven’t previously used it to clean anything with harsh chemicals that may damage your plants.
Keeping your plants clean is not only about aesthetics – if the leaf surface is clean then it is better able to absorb water and light.
Now that you know some great ideas to clean indoor plant leaves, you can keep your indoor jungle looking as perfect and pristine as it can be.
