Here's How Often You Need To Clean Your Houseplants
Filling your home with houseplants can bring a lot of life into your space, but did you know that houseplants require a specific type of cleaning in addition to watering? You may have noticed that your houseplants tend to get dusty from time to time, but what you might not know is that this dust can seriously affect your plants' health. That's not to mention that dusty houseplants don't look as pleasing as shiny, clean ones in your home. Therefore, cleaning your plants is just as important as cleaning any other space of your home and should not be neglected in your plant care routine, per Our Houseplants.
Houseplants naturally collect debris from the environment. However, since houseplants make their own food through photosynthesis, their leaves need to be able to absorb sunlight. Access to sunlight can be blocked when houseplants' leaves are covered with dust and debris, so taking time to clean your houseplants can significantly benefit their health — with the added benefit of making your home feel cleaner.
Clean your houseplants when they need it
Cleaning your houseplants doesn't have to be a daily chore. How often you clean your houseplants depends on a variety of factors, such as the size of the plant and the conditions in your individual home. For example, if you have pets, like to keep your windows open, or keep your plants near your air conditioning unit, your plants will probably accumulate dust and debris pretty fast. The faster your plants collect dust, the more they're going to need to be cleaned.
According to Apartment Therapy, looking or feeling for dust on the leaves of your plants when you are watering them is a good method of determining when to clean your houseplants. Since you're already focusing on caring for your plants when you water them, it makes sense to also inspect for dust. Alternatively, you can take time to dust your plants when you dust the other furniture in your home.
Ways to clean your houseplants
There are tons of ways to clean houseplant leaves, and what method you use will vary from plant to plant, according to The Spruce. For example, big leaf houseplants, such as fiddle leaf fig trees or monsteras, can be wiped down with a damp cloth. Take care to hold each leaf while you dust it to prevent breakage.
Another easy way to clean the dust from your houseplants is to give them a shower. Moving your plants into your shower and using lukewarm water with a low-pressure spray will help remove any dust and debris that has collected on their leaves. Just make sure not to overwater your plants in the process. If your plants are too delicate to put in the shower, you can also try misting or using a brush to gently wipe the dust off. And while you're at it, don't forget to trim off those yellowing leaves.