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Cleaning your Houseplants

Houseplants need to be cleaned regularly to keep it healthy and beautiful. Plants that grow outdoors usually do not need to be cleaned. Outdoor plants are washed regularly by rain and feather dusted by the wind.

Why should you clean your houseplants?

Houseplants need to be cleaned because dust, grease, oil, and other airborne particles settle on leaves, inhibiting their ability to absorb sunlight. It is important to keep houseplants clean because if they aren't able to absorb adequate amounts of sunlight, their ability to carryout photosynthesis is lessened.

Photosynthesis is a process in which the leaves absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide to make their food. When a plant's leaves are coated with dust, grease, and oil, the openings through which they exhale oxygen and inhale carbon dioxide, become blocked and they have a difficult time carrying out photosynthesis.

A clean houseplant will be better able to growth and fight off disease from insects, bacteria, mold and other pests.

Houseplant cleaning tips

  • Clean your house plants once a month. If you live in a dusty area, do it more often.
  • Clean your houseplants with a soft sponge or cloth. Avoid coarse, rough sponges like loofas and some commercial varieties.
  • Wash plants in lukewarm water to rid them of dust and insects. Don't use cold water. Cold water may spot leaves.
  • Let plants drip-dry before placing them in the sun.
  • When cleaning the leaves, support them with one hand to avoid bruising or cracking them.
  • Do not use oils or polishes to make leaves shine. Oils and polishes will block the leaves' pores.
  • To clean plants with fuzzy leaves, use a syringe full of clear, room-temperature water.

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