How to Clean Houseplant Leaves

Plants breathe through their leaves, which is why it is important to always keep them clean. Outdoors, Mother Nature takes care of cleaning the leaves through rain showers and gusty winds. Indoors, you will have to be like Mother Nature and ensure that your houseplants are kept free from dust and dirt. Here are some helpful tips.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paper towels or soft rags
• Water
• Bathroom with a shower
• Spray bottle or shower hose in the sink
• Soft camel's hair brush or paintbrush

1. 
   Clean big leaves with a moist soft rag.

   Clean smooth, broad leaves with moist paper towels or soft rags. Hold a pair of moist towels or rags, one on each hand, and gently slide them with outward strokes along each leaf, simultaneously if possible, on the topside and underside. This works well for mature peace lilies and varieties of dracaenas that have thick and sturdy leaves.

2. 
   Clean spiky leaves with a stick.

   Clean leaves that have spiky edges, like those of bromeliads, by securing a moist paper towel or soft rag around the tip of a stick (plastic knife, ruler or pencil) with a rubber band. For delicate and small leaves, consider using cotton swabs.

3. 
   Clean cacti with a brush.

   Clean spiny or thorny leaves with a soft-bristled paint brush. The spines and thorns of cacti and some succulents can easily trap dust and dirt, and the only way to get to them is with a fine brush. The hairy leaves of African violets can be lightly dusted off with small camel's hair watercolor brushes or makeup blushers. For deep-set dust balls and cobwebs, use a toothpick to pry them out.

4. 
   Clean cluster-leaf plants in the shower.

   Clean fine and clustered leaves by giving them a shower. Ferns, fine-leaf ficus and palms would be easiest to clean in the bathroom. Put them under the shower for a minute or so, turning the pots for an even clean. Use a detachable shower head to aim the water more accurately.

5. 
   Clean small plants in the sink.

   Clean small houseplants in the sink. You can use a spray bottle or the kitchen sink's spray hose to rinse off the leaves of your small potted plants.

Tips & Warnings

• Instead of cleaning the plants indoors, consider taking them outside and using a spray bottle or the garden hose to rinse off the dusty leaves.
• Rain is always good for plants. Take the plants out for a rain shower to clean and water them at the same time.
• When putting a plant in the shower, wrap the pot in a plastic bag to control the spill of soil on the bathtub or shower stall floor.
• Include dusting of plants in the regular housekeeping routine.
• For showers and outdoor spraying of leaves, be sure the water is not too cold because this could shock the plant.
• When water-spraying outdoors, do it in the shade to prevent the sun from burning the wet leaves.

Resources

• University of Illinois Extension: Houseplants
• Guide to Care Free Houseplants

[signalb99]

on 4/22/2009 You should also check out http://www.cleanplantshappyplants.com They carry a line of shampoos and soaps specifically for taking care of plants. There are also great videos explaining how it works and the science behind it.

[TracyBrown]

on 1/18/2009 Thank you for posting this! I will use your suggestion for my African Violet. Great idea!

[RubyBayan]

on 4/21/2008 Wow, thanks for that tip. I'll be sure to try it on my next leaf-cleaning session. :)

[janette4]

on 4/19/2008 I clean my plants leaves with watered down milk. Boy the leaves really shine!!!!! No nothing smells like soured milk. I dip a paper towel in the milk and wipe off the leaves with it. The plants love it.