Fake plants are the best way to add some natural touch to your home without having to go through the difficult hassles of gardening. These plants come in various colors, sizes, and shapes and can be friendly on your pockets as well. Here we show you how to clean three types of fake plants, plastic, silk, and aquatic plants. You can follow these steps to maintain and clean them:

  1. Cleaning Plastic Flowers

Plastic flowers need to be specially kept clean because of the beauty they induce to the flowers.

Gather all Your Tools

The tools you will need to clean plastic plants are:

  • A feather duster.
  • Microfiber cloth.
  • Hot water.
  • Cleaning rags and window cleaner with ammonia D.

Get Rid of the Dust

There are a lot of ways in which you can remove the dust from those plants:

  • You can dust them with a feather duster.
  • Submerge them in hot water.
  • Sprinkle water on them.
  • Use a vacuum cleaner.

Dry Them

If you had submerged the plant in water to clean them, then let them out to dry.

Spray Ammonia D

  • After they have dried completely, spray some window cleaner with Ammonia D on it in order to thoroughly clean and disinfect your plant.
  • Put the plants out in the sunlight in order to activate the cleaning product. This will also help your plant get back its original vibrant colors.

  1. Cleaning the Silk flowers

The silk flowers are best when neat because if they are not, then it spoils the beauty of the plant.

Dust Them

  • Just like how you remove dust from the plastic plants, get rid of the silk flowers in a similar manner.
  • You can use dusting feathers, cloth rags, vacuum cleaners or even using a microfiber cloth.
  • You can also use blow dryers to get rid of the dust accumulated on these silk plants or flowers.
  • Set the dryer on the minimum heat and blow on the plant from some distance.

Dry Cleaning

  • You can use salt to clean the plant thoroughly and most effectively.
  • In a Ziploc bag, take some amount of salt, the size of the bag should fit in the plant or flower that you want to clean.
  • Put the plant inside and close the zip of the bag.
  • Shake them vigorously as the salt will act as scrubbers to remove all the dust accumulated on the plant.
  • You can also use rice or cornmeal instead of salt.

Check Before Spraying

Before spraying the cleaning liquid on the plant, spray a small amount of the liquid on some off part of the flower and wait for it to react or fade away. If the color does not change, the cleaner can now be used to thoroughly spray over the whole flower

Use Cleaners to Remove Grime

  • If your plant or flower is excessively coated with grime, try using the silk flower cleaners that are available easily in the market.
  • You can also combine vinegar with water and use it to spray on the plant.
  • Clean the plant with a dry cloth to remove the dirt.

Rinse

Lastly, rinse your plant with cold water and dry them before putting them back into their containers.

  1. Cleaning the Aquatic plants

Although they do not need a constant water supply, they look more beautiful when neat and clean inside water.

Use Hot Water

Over time, the dirty algae collect on the plants and can make them look dull and dirty. In order to remove those rinse them under hot water.

Cleaning the Plant

  • You can clean the plant thoroughly using a water-bleach mixture or chlorine neutralizer.
  • You can also scrub the plants with salt using a soft-bristled toothbrush.

TIPS

Dusting the fake plants regularly is the most basic and important step in taking care of your plants. However, they do need some regular cleaning in order to preserve them for a longer period of time.

What is the easiest way to clean artificial plants?

The Vinegar Method

Create a half-vinegar, half-water solution and mix it in a spray bottle. Spray down your artificial plant with the solution. For really tough build-up, let the vinegar solution sit for around five minutes. Use a clean damp cloth to wipe away as much of the vinegar and dust as you can.

How do you keep artificial trees dust free?

For quick cleanings, spray the dusty areas with furniture polish and allow it to set. Wash fake trees every 3-6 months to keep dust at bay. Clean plants weekly with a feather duster or vacuum attachment to keep dust and dirt from building up.

How do I make my artificial plants shiny?

You’ll want to mix equal parts water and rubbing alcohol, and since a little goes a long way, 2 ounces of each is really all you’ll need, and it’ll be enough for several silk plants. First, pour the water into the spray bottle. Then pour the rubbing alcohol into the spray bottle.

How do you make homemade plant cleaner?

DIY PLANT LEAF SHINE & CLEANER RECIPE:
  1. 2 cups of water.
  2. 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar.
  3. 2 drops of castile/dish soap (we’re fond of Dr. Bronner’s)
  4. 2 drops coconut oil (optional: if you really want that glossy look)

How do you clean plants with vinegar?

Vinegar or Lemon Juice & Water

Mixing vinegar with water is especially effective at getting rid of residue buildup on leaves. However, do not overdo it. This one is not meant to be part of routine plant maintenance, but instead only when needed. Start by mixing one teaspoon of vinegar with about a gallon of water.

Can you use baby wipes to clean plant leaves?

Baby wipes can be used to clean the leaves of both natural and artificial plants. It’s easy to clean indoor plants with wipes. Use a baby wipe to wipe off all dirt from the switch.

Can you put olive oil on plant leaves?

Mineral oil provides a shiny coating for the leaves and helps to prevent dust from accumulating quickly. Avoid using coconut or olive oil on the leaves, as this can block the pores of the plant. Keep plants with mineral oil on them out of the direct sun to avoid the leaves from getting burnt.

Is mayonnaise good for plants?

There is no benefit to using the mayo on your leaves, and it may even clog up stomata, which are necessary for the plant to take up water. Simply washing off leaves with a spray of water is all your plants will ever need by way of leaf cleaning. [Insects are coming to eliminate your houseplants.

What to put on leaves to make them shine?

There are a number of natural easy ways to shine houseplant leaves.
  1. Milk Mixture. Mix together equal parts of milk and water, and use the mixture to wipe plant leaves.
  2. Soap and Water. Make a wash with a mild soap mixed in water.
  3. Mayonnaise.
  4. Banana Peels.
  5. Commercial Waxes.

Is coconut oil good for plant leaves?

Coconut oil is good for plants because you can rub it on the leaves to add nutrients and keep them moist. It also helps make the leaves attractive and repel dust. You can also use the oil as a weed killer and to remove rust from your gardening tools.

Is brewed coffee good for plants?

Coffee grounds (and brewed coffee) are a source of nitrogen for plants, which is the nutrient that produces healthy green growth and strong stems. Coffee also contains calcium and magnesium — both of which are beneficial to plant health. To use coffee as a plant fertilizer, you’ll need to dilute it.

Can you water plants with leftover coffee?

Water with the diluted coffee just as you would with plain tap water. Don’t use this to water plants that do not like acidic soil. Don’t water every time with the diluted coffee fertilizer. Plants will sicken or die if the soil becomes too acidic.

Do tomatoes like coffee grounds?

Glad to hear coffee grounds are working for your tomato plants! Nevertheless they’re often used on acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries and tomatoes. Be careful, however, not to overload tomatoes with too many coffee grounds. Tomatoes like slightly acidic soil, not overly-acidic soil.

Can you pour old coffee on plants?

A solution to this could be watering down your coffee before you pour it onto your plant. What’s left over in your coffee pot isn’t the only beneficial part of coffee for your plants—the leftover grounds can also benefit your growing green friends as compost or fertilizer.

Will coffee grounds eliminate ants?

Although coffee grounds do not kill ants, they do repel many ant species. If you feel ants are a major threat to pets, plants and people, hot coffee dumped directly on the anthill will eliminate some ants that come into contact with the hot liquid.

Can you put too much coffee grounds in your garden?

Coffee grounds are highly acidic, they note, so they should be reserved for acid-loving plants like azaleas and blueberries. And if your soil is already high in nitrogen, the extra boost from coffee grounds could stunt the growth of fruits and flowers.