Does anyone know they best way to clean house plants with lots of big leaves that get easily dusty? Is it a case of having to dust each leaf (and should you use anything to do that) or is there a quicker way to do the whole lot in one go?

using inside of bannana skin helps bring out the shine

You could use one of those fluffy things on a stick and the static would take of most of the dust otherwise it is a leaf by leaf job. Good tip from HCC re: banana skin

i have a massive cheese plant in the corner of the kitchen,and a few rubber plants on the windown sill,i just use that leaf cleaner with some cotton wool on each leaf,but the stuff is a bit sticky tho.

as a florist i can recomend tepid water and a damp cloth..wipe each leaf till free of dust if it is a big plant and then spray with leaf shine....if a smaller plant put it in an empty bath and spray with cool water to wash all the leaves..let dry and spray with leaf shine...get leaf shine from any DIY or garden shop

hi i have rubber plants and i use milk hope that helps

Thanks everyone - great tips. I will certainly try them out. Though I ndon't like banannas so will have to wait till my boyfriend next eats one....

Cheers!

I knew someone who used baby oil and said it made the leaves nice and shiny. Needless to say, the plant died because the oil blocked the pores (or plant equivalent) and it couldn't respire.

How daft are some people?!

I know. I had to bite my tongue when she showed me, but she soon found out it wasn't a good idea when the plant collapsed. Poor plant.

I have always wiped the leaves of house plants with kitchen roll and tepid water, its amazing the dirt which comes of . I then do them with leaf shine.

I ues beer on a cotton wool pad rember to do the undersiad as well
i did it with my lemon and orange trees
there doing great more flowers now=more frut
you also get to drink whats left

i put my house plants in the shower and shower them gently then i leave them in their until the leaves have dryed off a bit before i put them back.

I've always used either any baby wipes lying around or a quick wipe with the cloth I was polishing with, I also feed them a bit of sugar, and 'prune' bits off quite regularly, all of which my mother despairs of - particularly as the plants all flourish and have done for years. Especially the one she bought me as a housewarming and was sure would die with my unorthodox gardening practices. Ha!

Good tip about the shower to wash them. Pity I can't drag the four foot dragon tree thing upstairs!

quote:

Originally posted by HCC:
using inside of bannana skin helps bring out the shine

My granmother told me that tip, it really dose work

bananas are good

If you paint a plant make sure you go for blue paint. The plant may still die though.

quote:

Originally posted by Lurpak Queen:
If you paint a plant make sure you go for blue paint. The plant may still die though.

Without a doubt

To clean cotton wool and tepid water to shine cotton wool dipped in some milk wipe it on leaf and then buff gently.