How do I Clean Silk Plants?

Silk plants are a great way to bring color and texture into the home. Today’s silk flowers and artificial greenery make it possible to position vases of blooms as well as baskets of green plants anywhere within the room with no worries about sunlight, water or any of the other issues connected with live plants. However, cleaning silk flowers and greenery is sometimes a mystery to people who are just beginning to utilize these decorating touches. If you are among those who wonder how to properly clean silk plants and keep them looking fresh and vibrant all year long, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Cleaning silk plants is not as difficult as many people think. In fact, day to day cleaning is the same for silk greenery as with any other accessory. A light cleaning using a feather duster helps to minimize the amount of dust accumulated on the leaves and blooms of silk plants. Simply dust the plant in the same manner that you would dust a tabletop or along the top of a row of books. If you dust and clean silk plants once or twice a week, you will avoid having to deal with lots of dust caked on the leaves.

Along with a feather duster, it is also possible to use your vacuum cleaner to clean silk plants and flowers. Using one of the brush attachments will make it possible to remove dust from the leaves and petals. Make sure to keep the attachment an inch or two away from the surface of the plant. This will be close enough to remove the dust but not close enough to suck leaves and petals into the vacuum.

Many silk plants are water-resistant. This is good news, as it means you can clean silk plants with a mixture of warm water and a little dishwashing detergent. Use a damp cloth to wet each leaf and gently scrub the surface of the leaf. Dry the leaf using a clean cloth and move on to the next leaf. While time-consuming, this method will leave your plants looking brand-new.

There are also silk plant cleaners especially formulated for use with artificial greenery. Available in aerosol and pump spray containers, all that is required is to apply a small amount of the silk plant cleaner to the greenery, then wipe it clean. The leaves on the greenery will shine like new and look very healthy.

For especially hardy silk plants, you can even make good use of the bathtub. Remove the plants from their containers and place all of them in the tub with lukewarm water and a small amount of bubble bath. You can swish the plant around using the bendable stem to remove most of the dust buildup, then follow up with gently wiping the leaves with a clean cloth. This approach is a great option if you use artificial greenery and flowers through the home and have a large collection of the plants.

You can also make your own artificial plant cleaner at home. By combining one part vinegar to two parts water, it is possible to create a cleaner that is ideal for use in a spray bottle. As with the commercial cleaning products, this homemade recipe makes cleaning silk flowers and greenery very easy. The vinegar will also leave behind a faint but pleasantly clean scent in the room.

Cleaning artificial plants is not the headache many people assume. When compared to the watering, trimming and periodic repotting that is required with live plants, taking the time to clean silk plants a couple times a month will seem like a small inconvenience. When taken care of properly, your silk plants will last for several years, making them even more cost efficient.