Yes, you should dust your houseplants. No, none of us wants to do it. We’ve got better things to do with our time, and this chore always takes forever. Until now.
I have a method for cleaning leaves that makes the whole process fast and easy, so I can get back to more important things like eating fancy cheese and knitting while listening to an audiobook.
You should adopt my method because you deserve more fancy cheese in your life.
Who Is This Woman?
In every article detailing the importance of cleaning the leaves of your houseplants, there is a photo of some woman in a boho-looking room, with a plant mister, wiping down a houseplant with a blissful smile on her face.
Oh, look, there she is.
Who is she? How does she have so much free time? Does she really enjoy this? The thought of cleaning every individual leaf on all my plants makes me want to do my taxes instead.
I am not her. I’m guessing you are not her, either.
But you clicked on this article because you hate cleaning your houseplants even though it’s kind of important.
Plants need clean leaves to function properly and thrive. This is a process that happens regularly in nature via wind and rain. Unfortunately, no matter how tidy the person is, homes still get dusty, which means so do plants.
Dust creates a sticky barrier that can:
- Prevent and slow down photosynthesis.
- Prevent and slow down the exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide and moisture through the leaves.
- Provide cover for pests, allowing them to infest your plants without you noticing, specifically spider mites, mealybugs, and aphids.
And let’s face it, the boho lady’s plants look good. That’s because clean, glossy leaves are a sign of a happy, healthy plant.
But it’s still a pain in the butt to do.
No worries, my friend. Grab your earbuds; you can at least listen to your audiobook while we do this.
Give Your Plants a Shower…with a Shower Cap
Yes, that’s right. We’re going to put your plants in the shower. Nothing new there; lots of people do it. But if you’ve ever tried it, you know that you have to be careful. Showerheads have a way of spraying potting soil everywhere, creating a huge mess while drowning your plant.
Here’s where my best tip comes in.
All we want to do is clean the leaves, not water the plant. So, I put the potted plant in a plastic grocery bag and tie it closed around the base of the plant. You will still end up with water reaching the soil, but this way, it will be a healthy amount, not a deluge.
This has three purposes:
- It protects the soil, keeping it from getting sprayed out of the pot by the water.
- It keeps the potting soil from getting completely soaked.
- It keeps the pot dry.
If you want to get back to your cheese ASAP, I suggest doing all of your houseplants in one go.
Obviously, this works better if you have a handheld showerhead, but you can still manage it with a stationary head. Likewise, you can do this in the kitchen sink with the sprayer.
Spray the dust away.
Some tips:
- Use warm water, which will soften sticky dust so it will rinse away easily.
- The water pressure should be strong enough to clean but not damage the leaves.
- Spray under the leaves as well.
Now, let your plants drip dry. (I set a timer for fifteen minutes. Otherwise, I forget about them and step into the shower the next morning, only to find every plant in my house staring at me.) Give them a little shake to remove excess water, remove the plastic bag, and put your plants back. Done!
Bonus – Give Your Plants a Facial!
This part is completely unnecessary, but your plants will love it, and it takes minimal extra effort.
I know we’re bordering on Blissful Boho Chick territory with this one. But you’ve gone this far, so why not give your houseplants a little extra love?
Rather than simply leaving them to drip dry, you can treat your plants to a nice steamy facial at the same time. After all, most houseplants thrive on humidity.
Point the showerhead into a corner so the water won’t hit the plants. Turn the water to hot, close the shower curtain and leave the water long enough for the shower to get nice and steamy. Turn the water off and keep the shower curtain and the bathroom door closed.
Let your plants soak up all that wonderful humidity before removing their shower caps and putting them back where they belong. This is especially great during the winter months when heated homes are at their driest.
Voila! You’ve done something good for your plants that will keep them healthy and thriving.
Ideally, you should do this once every couple of months. (Let’s be honest, most of us aren’t going to do it that often.) And yes, the bad news here is that for potted plants that are too big to pick up and move around, you still have to clean them by hand. But all in all, this chore just got a lot easier.
Now, we can all go back to more important matters, like cheese and knitting.
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