Most homemade plant shine formulas call for a mixture of mayonnaise and a little cooking oil. Mayonnaise contains egg. I don't like the idea of a layer of egg sitting on my houseplants. At some point, it must begin to smell and I would think it would be an attractant to flies and other insects.
If you have a friendly butcher, ask him/her to give or sell you an ounce of food grade slicer oil. It contains no animal products. Unless you have many plants, an ounce should last a few years.
With an applicator (I like to use a wool swab), apply a very thin layer to the leaf tops only. Applying the oil to the undersides can prevent the stoma from being able to breathe.
By the way... I got this baby at Lowes for a markdown price of $2.00. I brought it home, repotted it, gave it a little TLC and it is growing happily.
I've read many tips that say to use banana skins or mayo to clean houseplants. I don't like using these or any other such thing on my plants because they leave a coating on the leaves which can block them from getting air and/or water.
To keep the leaves of houseplants shiny and dust free, wipe them with a banana peel.
Clean house plant leaves using a sock. Slip your hand into the sock. You are able to clean the top and bottom of the leaves at the same time.
Use a piece of soft cloth with a small amount of mayonnaise. Carefully wipe off the dust. Follow with another clean cloth to remove the mayonnaise. Your plants will shine and be able to breathe.
Why can I not use Leaf Shine by Miracle-Gro on hard cactus stalks or leaved ones? What do I use on air plants to make them shine?
By Ivamarie
I have raise and have raised plants for years. Leafy, prickly,tall, short and I am a firm believer in only the natural. Chemicals and plants aren't a good mix.
If they get dusty, I may run them thru a cool (bathroom) shower mist (leafy ones like wandering jew, spider plants, or various ferns got this treatment once or twice a year).
When I raised Jade plants, kalachoe, mother in law tongues, and big and little rubber tree plants, I would feather duster dust them or wipe down gently with an old cotton undershirt and cool water every few weeks.
Cacus were left alone as were African violets and primrose, as they are delicate in their own ways. Excess water isn't good for them and neither is the rubbing motion of dusting as it can cause damage to their structure.
Some people swear by a dab of real mayo to shine leaves like the Jade's/mother in law tongues/rubber trees, but I was always afraid it would attract bugs, even if wiped off with cool water.
Hope this helps!
I am looking for a good way to dust, clean my 3 large real plants. I have been using a mild soap, but it seems like it dries out the ends of the greens, and yellows them.
By Annie
The easiest is to use the hair dryer on cool and then take an old washcloth rinsed in neutral temp, wipe carefully. Also, take them to the shower and turn on to gentle rain force.
I read an article about cleaning your house plants leaves with something special awhile back. Would anybody remember? I usually keep all of the articles, but I have lost this one. Thanks for any feedback!
By nikki
I don't remember reading about this in ThriftyFun but ages ago, during the 1950's people used to put a little mayo on a cloth and dust their potted vines such as pothos, philodendron, etc.
Banana skins are really good for this. Fruit side to leaf.
Water is the best thing to use. Spray thoroughly then wipe off with a damp cloth. A piece of an old T-shirt works well. Anything greasy like mayonaise or sticky like a banana peel will just attract more dust sooner.
Cleaning philodendron leaves with a cotton ball saturated with milk will remove the dust and let them shine, shine, shine! After wiping off each leaf gently, let air dry.
Can I use mayonnaise to shine the leaves of houseplants?
Tips for cleaning house plants. Post your ideas.
Use a soft paintbrush or makeup brush to dust them. You can also put them in the tub and run the shower over them.
To make the leaves of houseplants look shiny and clean, pour a little milk on a paper towel and gently rub each leaf! Makes the plant look GREAT!
By Wiseinhimmer
Put them in your shower and shower them gently ! Heard on "You bet your Garden" on NPR as a cure for aphids. (www.whyy.org/
Editor's note: With cool water
I clean my houseplants using milk. Pour in a bowl and dip in a paper towel and wipe the leaves. When leaves dry they will really shine. Plants like the milk also.
I don't like using banana skins or mayo or any other such thing on my plants because they leave a coating on the leaves which can block them from getting air and/or water. It also causes them to collect dust and dirt faster.
What I do is I take a gallon size bucket and put no more than 1/2 tsp mild dish soap in. I then take a lint free cloth and wipe each leaf. This cleans all the dust and dirt without blocking their pores. And they are totally clean and will not attract dust and dirt, thereby staying clean longer.
I use this method for all my plants that have leaves large enough to wash individually. For all the others, I put them in the bath tub and set the shower to "mist" and give them a good shower for about 10-15 minutes.
Any plants that are too large to pick up I always keep on a rolling tray. That way I can roll it into the bathroom and use a sprayer to spray it down good.
Apply mayonnaise to your plants to clean them and make them shine beautifully.
