How to Clean Artificial Plants

With artificial plants gaining significant popularity, we’ve encountered an uptick in people asking for tips about their care and maintenance.

While artificial plants don’t need the same amount of upkeep to ‘thrive’ as real plants do, there’s still some maintenance involved. Usually, that’s in the form of cleaning and dusting.

Like their real counterparts, artificial plants can accumulate dust and dirt over time. This may lead you to ask about how to clean artificial plants, and we’re here to provide you with all the information.

Here, we’ll guide you through the process of cleaning artificial plants and ensuring they remain vibrant and lifelike for as long as possible.

Whether you have artificial green walls, fake flowers, or artificial trees, we’ve got you covered with these simple but effective cleaning methods. 

Ready to dive in?

How Do You Clean Artificial Green Walls?

Artificial green walls are a low-maintenance way to bring nature into your space. While they’re not as hands-on as real vertical gardens, they still require occasional cleaning to maintain their fresh appearance.

Dust and dirt can accumulate on the leaves, which in turn, dulls the colour and the lifelike appeal. Regular cleaning also helps prevent allergens and ensures that your green wall continues to look its best.

How Often Should You Clean Your Artificial Green Wall?

For indoor artificial green walls, a gentle cleaning every 2 to 3 months is usually sufficient. On the other hand, outdoor artificial green walls exposed to the elements may require cleaning every month. As you can tell, there’s no silver bullet answer because the amount of maintenance needed will largely depend on the conditions surrounding your faux green wall.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to clean fake plants and faux green walls the right way:

1. Dust: Use a soft brush or microfiber cloth to gently dust off the leaves. This helps remove loose dirt particles, especially on outdoor greenery.
2. Wipe: Mix a mild soap solution with water and use a damp cloth to wipe down the leaves. Or, you can get an artificial plant cleaner – and the job is halfway done!
3. Rinse: Wash the leaves with clean water to remove any soapy residue. For outdoor installations, use a garden hose with a gentle spray setting to cut your cleaning time.
4. Dry: Allow the green wall to air dry completely. If you don’t have as much time, you can use a dry cloth to go over the leaves.
5. Apply: Spray UV spray after every thorough cleaning to protect the leaves from fading and sun damage, especially for outdoor green walls.

How Do You Clean Fake Flowers?

Fake flowers are a popular choice for home decor because they are durable and easy to maintain. Out of all types of artificial greenery, faux flowers are what most people have experience with.

But like any decorative item (and even real plants), they can collect dust and dirt over time and lose their vibrancy. Cleaning your artificial flowers regularly is what will help them stay fresh, realistic, and healthy-looking.

Before you go and spray your faux blooms with a hose, make sure you know the right steps to clean plastic and silk flowers. And if you don’t, we’ll tell you all about it here.

How to Clean Plastic Flowers?

Most artificial flowers are made from plastic and non-toxic materials. To make the distinction between plastic and silk – look at the blooms. Plastic flowers are sturdier and don’t bend as much, while silk flowers are soft, thin and wispy.

Once you’ve identified that your plant is plastic, follow these few cleaning steps:

1. Dust with a soft brush or a feather duster. For more intricate designs or hard-to-reach areas, you can even use a can of compressed air to blow all the dust away in a few seconds.
2. Wash the leaves with mild soap and water or take your potted plastic plants in a basin or sink to hose them down. You can also use a soft wet cloth or sponge, as well. Alternatively, fill a basin with lukewarm water and add a few drops of mild soap. Then submerge the flowers and gently swish them around to loosen dirt and dust.
3. Use a soft cloth or sponge to wipe down each petal and leaf and pay extra attention to any areas with visible dirt.
4. Rinse the plastic flowers thoroughly under running water to remove any soap residue. If the flowers are large or delicate, you can rinse them in a basin filled with clean water, just like you did a few steps before.
5. Dry the flowers with a clean, dry cloth or towel by patting the leaves and petals. Then, allow them to air dry completely before arranging them back in their place.

If you don’t follow these steps once every few months, your artificial flowers will lose their shine and make their fakeness very obvious.

How to Clean Silk Flowers?

If you have silk flowers, the cleaning guide is very similar to everything we’ve written so far, in that you need to:

1. Dust the silk petals with a soft brush to remove the dirt and debris. We advise against using compressed air for silk greenery because the petals are delicate and may get damaged.
2. Wipe with a gentle cleaning solution made from water and a small amount of mild soap. Dampen a soft cloth or sponge and gently dab the silk flowers. Avoid soaking them, as silk can be sensitive to water.
3. Allow the flowers to air dry completely and put them back where they were before you cleaned them.

How Do You Clean Artificial Trees?

Last but not least, don’t leave your artificial trees without any love. Show your fake trees the same care by cleaning them regularly to maintain their appearance.

Don’t let your artificial tree leaves look worn out by allowing dust and dirt to gather on the surface. Instead, clean them well with the following steps:

1. Dust: Like for other artificial plants, use a soft brush or microfiber cloth to dust off the leaves and branches. A feather duster can also be effective for reaching higher branches.
2. Wipe: For plastic leaves, mix a mild soap solution with water and wipe each leaf. This might be tedious depending on how leafy your faux tree is, but it’s worth the effort in the end. For silk leaves, use a damp cloth and ensure you don’t soak them.
3. Rinse: For outdoor artificial trees, spray your garden hose to rinse off the branches. Don’t go overboard though, keep the spraying gentle so as not to break anything.
4. Dry: Allow the tree to air dry before placing it back in its position. You may need to readjust the leaves if they moved around due to the water pressure.

In the end, keep in mind that outdoor artificial trees will also need that extra step – applying UV protection to prevent sun damage.

Finishing Thoughts

Regularly cleaning artificial plants, whether green walls, flowers or trees, is essential to maintain their beauty and longevity. In many cases, it does as much good for you as it does for fauxliege.

By following these simple steps on how to clean artificial plants, you can ensure your greenery continues to brighten your space with a vibrant and realistic appearance.

Remember, the key to keeping artificial plants looking fresh is consistent care and attention, so don’t deprive them of that if you want beauty in return.