Do I need to clean my plant?
Cleaning plant leaves is vital for keeping your plant looking good but it’s also important for maintaining your plant’s health.
It’s worth cleaning your plant from time to time. Not only will this keep it healthier, but it also encourages you to check in with your green gang to spot any signs of ill health.
Dust on your plant’s leaves prevents sunlight from reaching them, which will affect their growth. It can also block the pores on the leaves, which suffocates the plant.
We recommend cleaning the leaves every month or so using a damp cloth. Plants with fuzzy leaves can be cleaned using a soft brush. While you’re doing this, take the opportunity to examine your plant for any signs of stress or disease. If there are dead, brown or yellowing leaves you can gently remove them, and trim brown leaf tips, making sure not to cut into the healthy part of the plant.
If you think cleaning the leaves will take ages (maybe you’ve got a plant with loads of leaves like Bertie, or a bigger one such as Rick or Big Ken) you can just pop your plant in the shower. Use tepid water to clean the leaves, making sure not to hold the shower head too close to your plant – the force of the water could upset them.
Dust on your plant’s leaves prevents sunlight from reaching them, which will affect their growth. It can also block the pores on the leaves, which suffocates the plant.
We recommend cleaning the leaves every month or so using a damp cloth. Plants with fuzzy leaves can be cleaned using a soft brush. While you’re doing this, take the opportunity to examine your plant for any signs of stress or disease. If there are dead, brown or yellowing leaves you can gently remove them, and trim brown leaf tips, making sure not to cut into the healthy part of the plant.
If you think cleaning the leaves will take ages (maybe you’ve got a plant with loads of leaves like Bertie, or a bigger one such as Rick or Big Ken) you can just pop your plant in the shower. Use tepid water to clean the leaves, making sure not to hold the shower head too close to your plant – the force of the water could upset them.
Clean leaves with a bit of soapy water.
If water alone is not enough, try a mixture of all-natural liquid soap and water. You can dip a soft cloth in the soap and water solution and wipe the leaves carefully, or you can lather your hands with the solution and gently apply it to the plant.
As anyone who has ever gone away for a few weeks at a time knows, it doesn’t take long for dust to accumulate on all your surfaces, including your houseplants. And, when a fan or AC unit turns on or a window opens, a speckling of soil on lower leaves is almost inevitable. Though it may seem like a tedious task, routinely cleaning the leaves of your houseplants is important. A layer of dust on the foliage will block sunlight and reduce the plant’s ability to photosynthesize, which is ultimately how the plant feeds itself.
A clean plant that’s photosynthesizing at optimal levels will be a healthy plant, and in-turn more resistant to diseases and pest infestations.
Periodically cleaning the leaves of your houseplants actually makes less work for you in the long run and enhances both the plant and your indoor environment.
Periodically cleaning the leaves of your houseplants actually makes less work for you in the long run and enhances both the plant and your indoor environment.
How Often to Clean Your Houseplants
How often you clean houseplant leaves really depends on how much dust is in the air at your home. Houseplants growing in areas with dirt roads, ongoing construction, empty lots, and a lot of wind will have to be cleaned fairly often, likely every other week or so. The best way to determine if a plant needs cleaning is to rub your fingers on the leaves. If you can feel or see more dust than you can blow off, it’s time to clean.