How to Clean Indoor Plant Leaves? – Guide to Clean Indoor Plant Leaves Correctly

Indoor plants improve mood and enhance the aesthetics of the living space. However, their leaves can catch dust, dirt, and other pollutants as time passes, compromising their health and appearance. Knowing How to Clean Indoor Plant Leaves is essential to keeping plants healthy and lasting longer.

Cleaning indoor plant leaves is an essential plant care routine. No matter how often you clean the plants, what matters is how you clean them, which can affect their well-being. Our take on the proper techniques on How to Clean the Leaves of Indoor Plants can keep your plants thriving.

If you are new to plant care and are wondering how to clean plant leaves, this reading is for you. It explores the proper techniques and provides step-by-step guidelines for cleaning indoor plant leaves effectively and correctly without hurting them.

How to Clean Leaves on Indoor Plants?

Indoor Plants have always been a great source of attention in the living space. What about dirt-accumulated plants? Do they add to the indoor beauty, or do they thrive? Dirt-accumulated indoor plants fail to photosynthesise, are more prone to catch disease, and wither quickly.

Knowing how to clean indoor plant leaves is essential for the well-being of your houseplants. The best method ultimately depends on a few factors, such as the type of plant, the leaves, and the amount of dirt they have accumulated.

Must Read: How to Grow and Care for a Hosta Plant

This is the time to give your indoor plants a bit of a spa day because they deserve it. You never know how beautifully a clean indoor plant enhances the plant and the living environment. Below are a few steps to follow to How to Clean Leaves of Indoor Plants:

Dusting

Whenever your indoor plant gets dirty or accumulates dust, the first and foremost step is to dust off the debris. Dusting is the basics of cleaning indoor plants. There is a debate about whether to go for dry or damp dusting.

You don’t need to go extra fancy with dusting the plant. The amount of foliage helps you decide whether to dry or dampen dust off. Dusting helps clean plants with larger leaves, but you can do the same with smaller leaves using a makeup brush.

1. Using a light microfiber cloth, You can dust off the loose debris.
2. You can use a soft-bristled brush to remove excessive dust from the plant leaves.
3. After dry dusting, if dirt remains on the leaves, dampen the cloth in lukewarm water, ensure it is not soaking wet, and wring it lightly.
4. Gently wipe each leaf with a damp cloth, starting from the base and working your way up.
5. Don’t get the leaves too wet, leading to fungal diseases.

Shower the Plant Leaves

Showering the plant is another effective way to clean dirt on its leaves. It ensures no debris is left behind, leaving clean and shiny plant leaves. When you shower the plants, consider whether the indoor plant is small or large.

You can give smaller plants a quick rinse in the sink, but with larger plants, you need step-by-step guidelines to keep the plant healthy and prevent damage during cleaning. Before showering, adjust the water pressure to avoid leaves from damaging the plant.

Below are the proper steps to shower plant leaves

1. Move your medium to large-size plant to the bathtub or shower. 
2. Grab the shower nozzle and gently spray the plant’s leaves until the dust and debris dissipate. 
3. Keep the water pressure low and make sure it is lukewarm.
4. Air-dry the plant in the tub before moving it back into place. 
5. If you need to use the shower immediately, grab a paper towel or a microfiber cloth and blot the leaves dry before relocating it.
6. Support the leaves or leaf stems gently with your hand as you spray.
7. You can use spray water bottles to shower them gently for delicate leaves.

Cleaning with Soap and Cleaning Agents

Your plant has accumulated stubborn dirt and debris that can’t be easily removed with dusting or showering. In this situation, you must go the extra mile to clean your indoor plant leaves, and using additives becomes mandatory.

To wipe off the buildup residue, you can use a soapy solution and other cleaning additives, like lemon juice or vinegar. A small amount of soap solution in water is a good solution. You can also use a quarter teaspoon of vinegar or half a lemon mixed with water.

Steps to know How to Clean Dust off Indoor Plant Leaves:

1. Make a solution of about 1/4 tablespoon dish soap per 1 quart of water.
2. Damp a soft cloth into the solution and wring it lightly.
3. Wipe off the soapy solution on the leaves to clean them.
4. Spray clean, lukewarm water to wash the soap off.
5. The same process applies to lemon and vinegar solutions.

Prune and Trim Dead Leaves

Cleaning plant leaves is incomplete if you have not trimmed or pruned them. Trimming and pruning leaves are essential to plant care. They help remove dead leaves and keep plants flourishing.

Cleaning plants is also a great time to tidy them up by removing dead, brown, or yellowing leaves. If a leaf detaches easily, remove it by hand. Otherwise, use clean sheers or scissors.

Never pull off a firmly attached, resistant leaf. Prune away just the browned leaf tips from plants left too dry.

Clean the Pot

Cleaning the plant is as necessary as checking the pot to ensure a flourishing indoor plant. The plant can catch dirt, accumulate debris, or contract disease if the pot is dirty.

Remove the plant from the pot and thoroughly clean it with a dry or damp cloth. You can also use a cleaning solution, a diluted bleach solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, while cleaning the pot.

Scrub the salt residue with a stiff brush, then rinse the pot thoroughly before repotting your plant. To prevent future buildup on pots, periodically flush the soil with water and let it drain completely.

Skip leaf-shining Products

After you are done with cleaning plant leaves, if you are planning to use leaf-shining products, avoid using them. You feel tempted to invest in and use leaf-shining products to keep your plant leaves looking glossy and shiny, but they can damage your plant’s health.

Leaf-shining products clog the surface of the leaves, making it impossible for them to breathe. Once clogged, the leaves can’t absorb carbon dioxide, resulting in leaf damage and plant death.

Wrapping Up

If you are fond of keeping indoor plants, you cannot deny that cleaning the leaves is a simple yet crucial part of plant care. Regular cleaning can promote healthy growth, prevent pests and diseases, enhance the plant’s appearance, and beautify your living space. 

If you are wondering how to clean plant leaves, this guide is for you. It explores the proper techniques and provides step-by-step guidelines for cleaning indoor plant leaves effectively and correctly without harming them. Follow the steps to keep your indoor plants thriving and enjoy their beauty and benefits for years.