Table of Contents:
Fake
trees are too large to shake in a bag with salt, but need to be cleaned regularly to remove the dust and dirt build up.
You Will Need:
- Duster
- Hose with sprayer attachment (a shower will work in a pinch)
Steps to Clean the Fake Tree:
- Start by removing the surface dust with a feather duster or soft cloths.
- The rest of the cleaning process is best completed outside.
- Start by removing the plant form the base holder. Often times, the plant pot, especially metals, are not water resistant.
- Take the plant outside or place it in the shower.
- Spray it down with warm water to remove the rest of the dirt and dust.
- Shake the excess water off.
- If outside, allow the plant to dry in the sun. If inside, set the plant in a dry area and allow it to dry.
Additional Tips and Advice
- For quick cleanings, spray the dusty areas with furniture polish and allow it to set.
- Wash fake trees every 3-6 months to keep dust at bay.
- Clean plants weekly with a feather duster or vacuum attachment to keep dust and dirt from building up.
If it’s an all plastic tree, take it outside in the yard and use a hose to blast the dust off of it. Let it dry outside overnight before you bring it back in, or else it will start to smell musty.
If the tree is really filthy, you can use one of those hose attachments that are for washing your car or your siding. Spray the tree thoroughly with soap, then spray it off twice with clean water to remove all the soap. Shake off as much water as you can, then take the tree back inside and set it in front of a fan or over a vent to dry.
If you dust your fake trees once a week, they’ll stay clean and they’ll look good longer. Wipe leaves that dust won’t come off of easily with a damp cloth.
If your tree has cloth leaves, or if the tree is old or fragile, silk flower cleaner is the best way to go. It’s a little expensive, but it’s worth it. You just spray it on the leaves and all the dust vanishes!
I know some people use canned air or an air compressor for this, but if you can reverse the suction on your vacuum cleaner hose from suck to blow, you can use your vacuum to do the same thing. Work your way from one side of the tree to the other, top to bottom, and try to blow the dust away from the artificial tree’s trunk and out of the branches.
Spray on X-mas tree snow; looks great when you first put it on, but it can get pretty ugly by the end of the season. To keep your fake tree looking good, only spray canned snow on the tips of the tree branches, don’t try to completely cover the tree branches with it – in fact, the instructions on the can say not to use the snow that way. You also need to remove as much of the fake snow as possible before you pack your tree away after the holidays. Dry fake snow can be brushed off the branches, or you can vacuum it off branch by branch. For snow that is stuck on, spray window cleaner on the snow, let it set for a minute, and then wipe the snow off with a cloth. Don’t try to use your garden hose to wash the snow off the tree; it won’t work and you’ll just end up with a bigger mess.
I have found the simplest way to clean fake trees and silk floral arrangements is to simply carry your hair dryer from room to room and clean all plants in the house by blowing them clean with the hair dryer.
If they have become laden with a greasy film or cigarette smoke, I fill the kitchen sink with suds, turn the arrangement upside down and swish around. Rinse with the sprayer hose and let it drip dry.
To clean my fake trees and to make them shine like new, I take a little mayonnaise on a rag and wipe off the leaves with them. This makes the leaves look shiny and new looking.
I spray mine with furniture polish. Works great! Makes it easy to dust too.
I have one of my family members help. I hold the trees and spray them with a hose nozzle on spray. For really dusty, dirty plants, I spray silk cleaner that I purchased at a craft store. After about five to ten minutes, I rinse them, and stand them on the patio until dry. I have owned the same silk trees for over 10 years, and they still look great.
Sweet – Just spraying Endust on the leaves was a huge improvement over the dusty, crusty leaves. I have had this tree for 12 years. Instead of using a rag, I used those Swiffer cotton things you use for a dry Swiffer. I don’t really use my Swiffer, but I love the technology of how the white sheets catch dust. My tree looks new again and is not going to end up in a landfill!
Does anyone know if the woody branches can be damaged by the water? Nobody mentioned that, which makes me think it’s not a problem, but my tree is quite huge with beautiful real-looking wood stems (I have no idea, they could have some real wood in there), so I’d hate to mess them up. The tree would be ruined if the water affected the trunk/branches. Thoughts? Thanks!
I can’t take my artificial trees outside and hose them off because the leaves will all fall off. They are delicate and are in a wicker pot with peat moss. They are very dusty and aside from cleaning each and every leaf by hand, are there any other suggestions??