How to turn your houseplants into bathing beauties

[Guest guest]

How to turn your houseplants into bathing beauties

 

Clean your indoor house plants every couple months or so. If you live

in a dusty area, do it more often. Clean firm, not African violets

and other hairy-leafed plants, with a soft sponge or cloth. A word

about sponges here. Look for soft, pliable, and gentle ones. Avoid

coarse, rough sponges like loofas and some commercial varieties--even

if you have to test squeeze them in the store! The best sponges are

natural cellulose types and the big, light brown, round-cornered ones

(not loofas) that are used at car washes. Baby sponges also work

great. You know the kind I'm talking about.

 

 

Houseplants prefer soft sponges

 

 

For cloths, put away the paper towel and wash cloth. Find an old, but

clean, white T-shirt. Tear or cut it into four sections.

 

 

 

 

Moisten the sponge or T-shirt with plain, tepid water. Don't use milk

(a recent fad and bad idea), vegetable oil, or those commercial " leaf

shine " products. They only clog the leaf pores. For extra-dirty

plants, go ahead and add a couple drops of liquid, non-detergent

soap, such as Ivory.

 

Support the leaf on an upturned hand and gently wipe with the other.

Try to clean the top and bottom of each leaf. For plants with hairy

leaves, such as African violets, do not clean them with a damp sponge

or cloth. Use a soft cosmetic or children's brush; even a feather

duster.