How To Clean Rubber Plant Leaves

How To Clean Rubber Plant Leaves

How to clean rubber plant leaves is a question we get asked quite often and it’s no surprise. Rubber plants put out these amazing giant leaves which can attract dust, dirt and other things you don’t want covering your plant. Just like any large leaved plants, you need to clean your rubber plant leaves fairly regularly to remove this dirt build up.

Keeping these leaves clean not only makes the plant look better but it also keeps your plant healthier for longer and will help assist new growth, and hopefully encourage your plant to flourish.

Cleaning rubber plant leaves can be a difficult task if you’re a beginner. You obviously don’t want to damage the leaves of your plant but you want to get the dirt off. If you let it build up for too long you may need something stronger to remove it and it can be difficult to know where to start. But don’t panic, cleaning rubber plant leaves is relatively easy, especially if it’s something you do often enough to prevent grime build up.

So let’s take a look into why it’s so important to keep rubber plant leaves clean and how best to achieve this.

Why Clean Rubber Plant Leaves

Rubber plants have big beautiful leaves to take in lots of light which will help them to grow. A build up of dirt and dust on rubber plants leaves can prevent them from receiving this light by blocking the sun’s ray. This can result in growth slowing down, it can stop the plant from putting out new leaves and in the worst case scenario, it can eventually kill the plant.

This is why it’s very important to stay on top of cleaning your rubber plant leaves to avoid this build up of dirt and dust, to keep your plant healthy and encourage it to put out lots of new growth.

How To Clean Rubber Plants

When looking at how to clean rubber plant leaves, we suggest keeping it simple. It’s better to do this often with water than to allow grime to build up to the point that you need to use something stronger as this can be damaging to the leaves.

Luke Warm Water And A Cloth

The easiest way to clean your rubber plant leaves is to use luke warm water and a cloth. Simply wet your cloth and wipe down each leaf individually. Make sure you rinse your cloth between leaves as you don’t want to carry dirt from one leaf to the next. If the dirt is superficial and mainly made up of dust then this should be more than enough to keep your plant clean and healthy. It’ll also help your rubber plant leaves to shine which really helps make this a show stopper plant.

Shower With Your Rubber Plant

Showering with your rubber plant is also an option you can use to keep it clean. Obviously you don’t want to do this too often as you don’t want the soil to be constantly wet but if your plant is due a watering you can take your plant into the shower with you and rinse the leaves as you go. If you do opt for this method just make sure your pot has adequate drainage holes to prevent your plant from drowning.

Regular Misting

Regular misting alone isn’t enough to keep your rubber plant clean but it can help prevent dirt from building up. You may find you still need to wipe your leaves down from time to time with a damp cloth but this should be necessary less frequently if you mist your plant regularly. Your rubber plant will also appreciate the regular misting as they tend to prefer more humid environments.

How To Get Rid Of A Build Up Of Dirt

If you don’t stay on top of cleaning your rubber plant, or if you’ve inherited one from someone else you may find that the build up of dirt becomes so great that you need something a little stronger than simply warm water and a cloth to get it off. Ideally you don’t want to get to this point but once you have there are some things you can do.

• A diluted water and lemon juice mix can help to work away grime that may be stuck onto the leaves of your plant
• Baby wipes are a good way to work away dirt. They tend to be better than cleaning wipes as they contain less harsh chemicals

Once you have removed this build up of grime from your leaves we would recommend washing your leaves more regularly to prevent from having to do this again.

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully we’ve helped you to learn how to clean rubber plant leaves but if not here are some frequently asked questions.

Why Is My Rubber Plant Leaves Not Shiny?

Rubber plant leaves will lose their shine if not cleaned often. If you remove dust and dirt from the plant it should help you achieve the shiny look you’re after. If your leaves still aren’t achieving the shine that you’re after then try using Miracle-Gro Leaf Shine.

Should You Wipe Rubber Plant Leaves?

Yes as we mentioned earlier wiping down your rubber plant leaves is a great way to clean them. If they have a light covering of dirt or dust then a damp cloth should do the job. If the dirt is stuck on then you might want to try baby wipes or a lemon and water solution.

What Is The Best Way To Clean Plant Leaves?

The best way to clean plant leaves is with water and a cloth and to do this regularly to prevent build up and to avoid having to use stronger solutions on your plant.

Article: How To Clean Rubber Plant Leaves

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