Indoor plants are a fantastic way to brighten up any office space. From gorgeous living green walls to stylish planters to outdoor ornamental plants, office plants breathe life and vivacity into every space. For many people, caring for their plants can be a therapeutic and soothing experience as you ensure all your plants are watered and have adequate sunlight.
Outside, nature takes good care of plants by offering them just the right amount of water and sunlight that they evolved to need. When we bring plants inside, we take on the responsibility of nature. We do this by fulfilling all of nature’s many roles – providing our plants with sunlight, mineral-filled soil and, of course, rain.
In the way that all natural things serve many purposes, rain does more than just hydrate plants – it also serves as their huge outdoor shower. So, when a plant is inside, it becomes our duty to ensure it gets the cleaning it needs.
Why cleaning indoor plants is important
Just as you dust and sweep around your desk and floors, you should also be cleaning dust off your indoor office plants. Particles from mud, dust and dirt can gather on the leaves of your plants throughout the week. Regular indoor plant maintenance has a number of benefits:
- Dust and dirt can block your plant from taking in sunlight, preventing the process of photosynthesis (how your plant feeds itself). Dusty leaves can result in stress for your plants and slow their growth, so it’s important to regularly clean them to ensure they stay healthy.
- Cleaning indoor plants regularly gives you the opportunity to conduct a health-check on your green friend! As you are cleaning, take note of any yellow or brown spots, wilting leaves and the soil composition.
- A stressed plant is a weakened plant which makes it a target for pests and diseases, so a thriving, clean and healthy plant will be more resilient to those.
How to clean dust off indoor plant leaves
Depending on the type of indoor plant you have, how you clean the dust off the leaves will be different. For example:
● Hardy plants like fiddle leaf figs can be cleaned using a damp cloth. Make sure to avoid any chemicals or detergents. Just use plain water.
● More delicate indoor plants such as maidenhair ferns will need to be cleaned using a soft duster. Spritz lightly with water afterwards to remove the residue.
● Indoor plants with fuzzy leaves like African Violets require a soft brush – a paintbrush or makeup brush usually works. Avoid using water as it can use the dirt to clump.
How often should I dust and clean my indoor plant?
Your schedule for cleaning plant leaves will vary depending on your office space and how quickly dirt and dust accumulates, as well as the airflow and foot traffic. We recommend starting with a light dusting once a week and regularly checking on your plants to see if more frequent or thorough leaf cleaning is needed.
For indoor plant hire Sydney , get in touch with the team at The Plant Man! To find out how you can brighten up your office space, get in touch with our team today.
