Cleaning silk flowers
 

My neighbor is moving and gave me three large silk/plant flower arrangements. They are quite lovely but dusty. Is there an easy way to clean the flower pedals and leaves besides wiping each individual pedal and leaf? I've never owned artificial plants before so I have no idea where to start.

Thanks!

I just cleaned mine before I moved by lightly spraying with the sprayer on my kitchen faucet in sink and they cleaned them up nicely. Mine are all leaves and hearty floral, nothing that looks delicate. Laid them out on the towel to dry. Then I went back with a wet paper towel and a little bit of dishwater soap to get the small sections the water missed. There use to be product sold at Costco but it was a tad expensive for my budget. Mine are outside plants since I wasn't born with a green thumb!! :)

I put mine in the shower ( warm water and low pressure) about every 6 months... I was a bit scared at first but got tired of trying to dust each leaf and petal. Too my surprise and delight that came out like new!

I do mine like Lori S. If they're really forty I spray them with a diluted cleaner, then rinse. I do it outside in the summer time so I can spray all the surfaces.

I put mine in dish soap and water, gently swish, then put in rinse water, gently swish, then gently spray, then put on a towel to dry.

I was always told never use water to clean silk plants and flowers. I put mine in a paper bag with course salt and shake it up it knocks the dust and cobwebs off. I then shake them off outside.

I clean mine with an air compressor. Works well on lampshades too!

I'm another who pops them in the shower. Works great and haven't had any adverse effects yet. Will sit them outside in the shade to dry most times.

This is how I do mine too.

I use the salt and shake method too. Instant satisfaction.

Two of the plant arrangements are in woven straw baskets, and I can't remove them. Will putting these in the shower ruin the baskets? They're too big to put in my kitchen sink. Maybe the air compresser is the best option?

I have had/have lots of arrangements, wreaths and such. I vacuum mine with the dust brush and wash them with the sprayer in the kitchen sink. I use a very soft spray. I let them drain through the baskets and moss they are planted in. I arranged them but I know I could never duplicate the arrangement. I have had them for probably 15 or so years.

OK I thought I was the only one who cleaned with an air compressor LOL. I have a small one for my long arm and thought I wouldn't use it that much. Well I use it all the time - works great to dust blinds, I can get the dust bunnies out from under the furniture, if I need to do a quick clean (in between quilts) I can blow all of the lint from under and away from my machine. Who Knew - I actually got this idea from a friend's husband, she was in the hospital and I went over to help clean before she cam home and he was in the house doing all of the floors with a leaf blower.

This isn't about cleaning them but just in general. Last fall I decided that since it was almost impossible for me to get out and water hanging plants, I'd hang a pot of silk flowers.....just stuck them in a hanging pot in which the plants had died. Believe it or not, they've lasted through all this winter storms and still look reasonably good! and it's been so nice to have some color I can see out my window by the desk. Will get more this spring!

And thanks for all the great info about cleaning them for inside!!

What a great guy! That is so funny. Good idea though about the air compressor.

LOL.....it was my husband that got me using the air compressor when he saw me gently cleaning the plants! Now I fire it up for tons of cleaning jobs!!

I would try dusting with compressed air first, a vacuum second, a damp cloth third, and running water as a last resort. Some of the higher quality silks are more delicate.

I put mine in the kitchen sink, suds up the water, put the flowers in the water and let them sit a minute or so, swish them around, empty out the water and rinse them until the suds are gone and then I hang them out on the line with a clothespin on the stem. Have done this for years and they still look like fresh flowers. Edie

I have heard the same thing to clean them in a sack with salt

I have used the salt method (using cheap table salt), the sink spray, and the sink dunk method to clean silk flowers. They all work. I prefer the salt method for larger arrangements, unless I want to mop the floor!

Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and I would guess JoAnn's sell a silk flower cleaning spray. It works, too. The dirt just fizzles away. Where does it go? I don't know, but it is gone. The chemicals are a bit of a concern to me.

I love the idea of fake flowers in hanging baskets outside! Did that last year after investing $$$$ in lovely hanging baskets that lasted about a month then died...I went to goodwill bought a lot of their artificial flowers and stuck them I the pots...lovely for the rest of the summer and now in garage waiting for this years debut! Silk flowers....really silk or the cloth feeling ones that are all over?

I have some silk flowers that are so dusty .. now I know !! Thanks for the tips !!

I use the JoAnns silk cleaning spray, the dust disappears with no wiping. I always do this outside due to whatever chemical is in it. I let it dry outside. That's it.

I use the compressed air, too. There use to be a spray that you could buy that was made specifically for cleaning silk flowers. I got it in the Plant Section of JoAnn's. Have no idea if it's still available, but maybe....:)

I put mine into the tub as I have a hand held sprayer. Worked for me and some of my silk flowers are over 20 years old. Yes, they're not sun faded as I keep them away from the windows. Sure beat cleaning each petal individually which I used to do. What a chore.

I use Hair Spray, buy the cheap kind and spray away. Come out looking like new.

I have a rather large basket with greenery in it and I just set the whole thing in the tub and spray. Let sit a while to drip dry then wipe off the bottom of basket. I use silk flowers in flower arrangement on graves all the time. They're out in sun/wind/storms and seem to do ok for at least 6 months or more. So, a little gentle shower in the tub couldn't hurt them any more than that.

Our daughter gave me a bottle of concentrated liquid which you put a small amount into a spray bottle and dilute. Shake well, and spray on the flowers and foliage. I just do it in the kitchen sink, let drip dry and voila! put back where you had displayed them.
If you have the flowers in a nice vase, I take them out and save my vase the chance the soapy water will mar it.
Mariah

I have cleaned all kinds of artificial flowers the way Lori S. does, usually without adverse effects. I also try to do it in the summer because I can stand in the grass and water some of the spots the sprinkler system misses at the same time I'm cleaning the flowers. froggyintexas

I clean 20 houses in my spare time to send children to college so I use Windex, just spray dry plants leave a few minutes and use the kitchen faucet to wash off. Works great and never had any fade.

I concur! I have taken the garden hose to them too. No big deal. I do my mini blinds the same way.

sandy

ditto…….really cleans them good

I do a light spray of water on them and then let them dry outside in the shade...