When you agreed to be a plant parent you may have signed up for the role without realizing that it entails wiping off your plants just like you would when changing a human baby’s diaper. Talk about high maintenance!
Why Clean your Plant’s Leaves?
There are many reasons why cleaning your plant’s leaves are a good plan of action. To start, the dust that accumulates on your plant’s leaves simply doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing. A thick layer of dust can make the prettiest plant look unappealing.
It also helps ward off pests from making their home on your indoor plant. Pests love to lay their roots down right above the roots of your dusty plant. The dustier, the better pests say.
In nature, plants are exposed to rain and wind that help it keep clean of dust and dirt. They don’t have the same luxury at your home. Too much dust can block plants from photosynthesizing. This is the life-source for your plants, so keep them clean and clear of dust, dirt, and other grime.
Best Practices
To keep your plants happy and healthy and free of that buildup of dust there’s a few best practices you can follow that are rather simple.
Start by taking Luke warm water in a spray bottle and spraying your plants down. Next, take a soft cloth and wipe the dust and dust from them. Don’t have a spray bottle? No problem! Take your plants in the shower with you… well maybe not with you since you’ll still want to keep that water on the cool side.
Place them under the shower and rinse them off. This is great to do with large plants. Make sure to of course, do this on a day where they need watering so you don’t overwater your precious plant.
If you have a plant with fuzzy leaves, the dirt may not come off directly from water alone. A dry paintbrush can be run across the leaves to get into the crevice’s and kick the dirt to the curb (or corner of your room).
Take Care of Each Other
Plants are actually great at filtering the air in your home. This means that if you aren’t taking care of them, they can’t take care of you. This is a very two-sided relationship unlike your last romance.
