Southern Style Cooking: Week 3: Cleaning Your Houseplant Leaves

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Week 3: Cleaning Your Houseplant Leaves

Welcome to Week 3!

Allison Bean, Editorial Director

Cleaning leaves is one of the most overlooked steps in houseplant care. But cleaning your houseplants' leaves won't just make them look less dusty, it will actually make the plants healthier. Plants absorb sunlight through their leaves, and a buildup of dust and dirt can reduce their ability to photosynthesize. By cleaning your houseplants' leaves every few weeks you'll be helping them thrive—making your home look better in the process.

Supplies You'll Need

	A handheld showerhead or a spray bottle
	A bucket
	A damp, soft cloth
	A duster
	A stiff brush

How to Clean Your Houseplants' Leaves

All Houseplants

	The easiest method for cleaning houseplants is to move them to the kitchen sink or shower and hose them off. Test the water before spraying to make sure it is lukewarm. Both hot and cold water can injure the plant's leaves.

	If your plants are really grimy, you can fill a spray bottle with a diluted soapy water mixture (1/4 tablespoon of dish soap per quart of water), spray the leaves, and then hose them off.

Small to Medium Houseplants

	Small plants that can't handle the force of a spray can be cleaned by holding the base of the plant at soil level, inverting it into a bucket of water, and swishing the leaves about.

	Water the soil beforehand. This will help prevent the soil from falling out when the pot is inverted. You could also wrap plastic wrap around the base of the plant to contain the soil while cleaning.

	Again, be sure to use lukewarm water. Let the plants drip dry before moving them back.

Large Plants

	For plants that are too large to move, you can simply wipe the leaves off with a damp cloth.

	After the initial cleaning, you can help keep dust from building up on the leaves by using a soft duster on them whenever you dust your house.

Plants With Sticky or Soft Leaves

	Some plants have sticky or fuzzy leaves that just don't lend themselves to easy cleaning. And in the case of plants such as African violets that don't like getting their leaves wet, neither spraying or wiping is the answer.

	For fuzzy-leaved plants, use a soft brush such as a mushroom brush to very gently coax the dust from the leaves.

Cleaning Plant Pots

	Cleaning the outside of your plant pots won't make your plants healthier, but it will contribute to their overall appearance.

	If salt or minerals have formed a white layer on the outside or rim of your flower pot, remove the plant, and thoroughly clean the pot.

	Wash the pot with a diluted bleach solution of one part bleach to 10 parts water.

	Scrub all the salt residue with a stiff brush, and rinse the pot well before repotting your plant.

	Prevent future buildup on pots by periodically flushing the soil in the pots.