When cleaning your home, you may not stop to think about spending a little extra time cleaning your houseplants as well. After all, who really wants to add more tasks to their chore list? But unlike bookshelves and baseboards, cleaning indoor plants has more than aesthetic benefits. It’s actually a health advantage for your plants, and one they rely on to grow properly. Too much dust layered on their leaves and your plants will struggle to properly absorb sunlight and feed themselves through photosynthesis. Thankfully, cleaning indoor plants is a fairly straightforward process!

How Often Do I Need to Clean My Houseplants?
The first question you might be wondering is if you need to add plant cleaning to your to-do list, how often is it needed? The answer largely depends on how dusty your climate is and how quickly it accumulates on the leaves. To start, give your plants a thorough inspection every time you water (generally every 1-3 weeks). If your plant looks clean, wait a few more weeks. If its leaves look coated in dust or debris, it’s time to implement one of these four simple techniques for cleaning indoor plants:

1. A rinse in the shower
   An easy way to clean larger indoor plants is by giving them a shower! If your water pressure is lighter, this can be accomplished by simply placing your plants in the bathtub and turning on the shower. If you have a removable shower head, spray them gently with lukewarm water until clean. The bathtub is also a convenient place to let your plants air dry.
2. A scrub with a soapy sponge
   For plants with larger or stiffer leaves, such as the Snake Plant, using a soapy sponge can be a good alternative to giving your indoor plants a shower. A soapy cleaning is ideal when leaves are extra grimy or have a thick, tough layer of dust. Just be sure to use a non-abrasive sponge and keep leaves properly supported as you clean them, so they don’t accidentally snap.
3. A soft feather dusting
   Some indoor plants are too fuzzy or fragile for a traditional cleaning with water. In these instances, using a feather duster can have a similar effect. Gently brush leaves with the duster until the debris is coaxed off the surfaces. Another option is to use a microfiber cloth to remove dust at the same frequency you dust other areas of your home.
4. A thorough misting
   A foolproof method for cleaning any of your indoor plants, especially those with many small leaves, is with a mister. Fill your mister with lukewarm water, then gently spray down the leaves in the morning. This will give your plant a chance to dry out during the day. Be sure to mist the top and bottom of the leaves and mist enough to fully saturate the leaves with water.

Once you’re done cleaning indoor plants, remove any dead leaves and stems to keep them as healthy as possible. Your plants will show their appreciation by growing lush and strong! How do you clean your indoor plants? I’d love to read your comments!

XO,
Micah

Plant ownership can be an exciting and rewarding adventure. Once you get a hang of it, that is. For the beginners, it can seem daunting and at times, even discouraging. There’s nothing quite like bringing your first plant home only to watch the flowers fade…and your enthusiasm with it. I’ve had a lot of experience caring for plants and through the trials, I’ve come to realize a few key things. Here is the best advice I can give to a new plant parent (and advice you can pass to others, too):

1. Know your home. Where you live has a big impact on your new plants. If your house or apartment has small windows, with mostly shadowed light, you’ll want to stick to plants like the ZZ Plant, Pothos, or Philodendron that don’t require high levels of sunlight. If your home is characterized by large windows and bright light, palms, succulents, and Snake Plants are good choices. Humidity also plays a factor: cacti like dry climates while ferns love muggy atmospheres.
2. Sense your style. Just like every plant is subtly different, so is every new plant parent. Will you be a helicopter parent constantly obsessing over every yellow leaf or dark spot? Or are you the laissez-faire type who’ll only get around to watering and fertilizing every few months? The better you know yourself, the easier it will be to pick plants—and keep them alive for longer. If you prefer being hands-on, a Fiddle Leaf Fig or Cyclamen might be your preferred plant. Look no further than a Golden Pothos if you’re planning on letting your new plant do its own thing.
3. Take your time. Being a new plant parent is tough. Things will get messy, and you’ll experience a few growing pains. If your first plant doesn’t survive, don’t immediately give up! Understanding the intricacies of individual plants and their care takes time…and a healthy amount of trial and error. If you keep trying, you’ll soon have a home filled with happy, thriving plants and plenty of advice to give to others!

Pro Tip: If you have pets around the house, you’ll want to make sure your new plants aren’t toxic. Here’s the complete list of toxic and non-toxic houseplants!

Ready to become a new plant parent?
It’s never too late to make the leap into plant parenthood! When the going gets tough, reach out to some fellow plant lovers for recommendations and encouragement. It won’t be long before you have a jungle of your own! What advice would you give to a new plant parent? I’d love to know in the comments!

XO,
Micah