Did you know that your houseplants need to be cleaned? This is especially true in winter, when dust tends to collect more thickly on leaves, blocking sunlight, transpiration, and other important processes. Knowing how to shine houseplant leaves keeps plants healthier and more attractive.
For your beloved houseplants, it’s best to avoid commercial cleaning products that promote shiny leaves. Instead, use my tried and tested homemade leaf shine spray from simple, safe ingredients.
Homemade Natural Leaf Shine Spray
You’ll find commercial leaf cleaning products on the shelves of your local garden center, but they often contain harmful ingredients. They might shine up your plants’ leaves, but they can also cause issues. Instead of relying on these store-bought products, use this simple and easy recipe to wipe down houseplant leaves in winter.
Combine the following ingredients in a spray bottle like this one from Amazon. Store it with your other cleaning or plant products:
- 1 cup of distilled water
- 1 teaspoon of mild liquid soap (castile soap is ideal)
- 1 teaspoon of coconut oil for a little extra shine (optional)
- A few drops of neem oil to prevent winter pests (optional)
The only things you really need to dust and clean leaves are water and mild soap. However, that little bit of natural coconut oil adds extra shine to leaves while neem oil helps you get ahead of any potential pests.
Get the Ingredients
Why Cleaning Leaves Matters More in Winter
It’s important to keep plant leaves clean at any time of year. Just as it settles on your bookshelves and other surfaces, dust settles on plants. There are several reasons this can be an issue for houseplants:
- Dust on the surfaces of leaves blocks sunlight, impeding the plant’s ability to absorb light and engage in photosynthesis.
- Dust also blocks stomata, the tiny holes on leaves that plants use for transpiration and the exchange of water and air.
- Dust on leaves creates a favorable environment for pests
- Unlike outdoor plants, your indoor plants will not be naturally cleaned by rain and wind. They need a little extra help.
- Dust also doesn’t look nice on plants. Clean off the dust to make your plants look more attractive.
You might be able to get away with not cleaning leaves in summer, but in winter, it’s absolutely essential. Heating systems running in winter kick up more dust and spread it around the house.
Light levels at the windows are lower in winter, so plants need more opportunities to engage in photosynthesis with clean leaves. Finally, pests can be a bigger issue in winter. Cleaning leaves regularly helps prevent or manage pests.
How to Use My Indoor Plant Leaf Shine Spray – And How Often
Using the spray is easy. Simply spray it onto the entire plant and use a soft cloth to wipe down the leaves. The spray will make it easier to remove the dust than if you attempted to dry dust the leaves. The little bit of oil will remain on the leaves, producing an attractive shine without clogging the stomata or causing harm.
Keep in mind that the wiping step is extra work but necessary. Simply spraying the leaves helps, but doesn’t remove most of the dust. Avoid using the spray on plants with fuzzy leaves, like African Violet. For these plants, dry dust with a soft brush.
So, how often should you do this cleaning chore? That depends on the levels of dust in your home and how frequently plant leaves get dirty and dusty. Check your plants’ leaves regularly by rubbing them between your fingers. If you can feel dust and grit, it might be time for a cleaning. If the dust is light and you can easily blow it off, you can probably wait a little longer.
Dusting and shining plant leaves indoors in winter will help keep your favorite houseplants healthy and attractive all season long. It’s an extra care step that makes a big difference.
