Clean houseplants regularly to keep them healthy

June 29, 4:41 PMPittsburgh Gardening Scene ExaminerRose Field

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Ficus photo by Rose Field

Do you ever think of cleaning the leaves of your houseplants? Built up dust and cobwebs coating plant leaves gives an unappealing mood to your home just as surely as a sink full of dirty dishes, but cleaning remains an often overlooked part of plant care.

Most importantly, plant health is compromised when foliage gets grimy. Plant leaves are covered with breathing pores called stomata. Depending on the type of plant, most stomata are on the bottom of the leaf, but some occur on the top surface, too. When dust and grime build up, these pores become blocked and the plant's ability to carry on its essential life processes are reduced. Think of it in terms of our own breathing mechanisms, but chemically reversed.

Normally, plants open up their stomata in the daytime, triggered by sunlight, take in carbon dioxide, and use it in photosynthesis. The plant breathes out oxygen as part of photosynthesis. Water vapor is released from the stomata also, in the process oftranspiration.

In the same way that animal bodies employ mechanisms to fight harmful microbes, plants watch out for invading bacteria which may try to enter via the stomata. The opening and closing of the stomata is a function of guard cells on either side of the pore. These guard cells contain receptors which sense familiar patterns of bacteria and close the stomata to keep them out.

Nature has given plants intricate and amazing systems for survival and if we bring plants into our homes for the pleasure they provide, we need to understand how to work with, not against their natural needs. A layer of dust and airborne gunk will smother and clog the stomata, and also reduce the amount of sunlight getting to the leaf surface. Keeping foliage clean maximizes the beauty, appeal and health of houseplants. Here are some easy steps to take.

Very small plants should be taken to the sink, shower or bathtub for a thorough spraying off about every six weeks. Remove the saucer from underneath and the shower will serve a second purpose: the built up salts in the soil get leached out by clear water running through. Remember that plants with soft, hairy leaves such as African violets should never have water splashed on their leaves, but for all others this is a real treat.

Larger plants can be given showers, too, if their size is physically manageable. If you can't wrestle your indoor trees into the shower, take them to the porch or patio and use the garden hose in mild weather.

If the leaves are exceptionally dirty due to long neglect, water alone may not be sufficient. Add two or three drops of mild dish detergent to a pint sprayer bottle of water and spritz the leaves before spraying with clear water.

Still dirty? Here's where hand cleaning becomes necessary. A very weak solution of dish detergent in a small bucket of water and a soft cloth do the trick. Household cleaners like Mr Clean or Lysol are much too strong. Dawn is a favorite because it seems to cut greasy residue and plants that are kept near the kitchen accumulate a surprising amount of greasy dust. Handi-Wipes are perfect for this chore because they are soft and strong also.

Unfortunately, winter weather prevents outdoor plant showers in most locales and at the same time, our heating systems usually spew out lots more dust By mid-winter, houseplants can be pretty dingy. During the major pre-holiday clean up and again just before spring, foliage should be wiped clean.

Even a large Ficus tree can be hand cleaned. It's no more labor intensive than cleaning a big chandelier or dusting lots of books, and need only be done about once a year. Start at the top and take it section by section so you don't skip any areas. Support each leaf on the palm of your hand and give it a quick but firm swipe with the cloth. It's possible to manage to do the job sitting down on a dining room chair by tilting the plant's pot and resting the tree trunk on the edge of another nearby chair.

One word of caution: Never use any of the commercial shine sprays because they coat and clog the leaves. The same goes for the old wives' tale type grandma concoctions like milk and water or even, (gasp!) mayonnaise. Can you imagine wiping down your coffee table or desk with mayo and thinking it was clean and shiny? Hardly. Like any coating of grease, mayo would only attract and hold dust and pet hair and certainly clog the plant pores. You need to clean the foliage, not grease it!

The amount of time devoted to this task will be rewarded with the pleasure of enjoying fresh looking, healthier houseplants.