Artificial flowers are a fantastic addition to any space. They bring beauty, elegance, and charm without the work that real flowers require. Over time, dust and grime will dull your flowers. So, you need to take some specific steps to keep your artificial flowers looking fresh and vibrant. In this guide, we will walk through how to simple methods on how to properly clean artificial flowers.
Table of Contents
Preparation Before Cleaning
Before cleaning your artificial plants and flowers inside your home, you need to gather your supplies first. The type of artificial flowers will dictate how you need to clean them.
Tools and Supplies Needed
The right tools on hand is essential to clean faux florals and plants effectively and safely. Here’s what you’ll need:
Soft Microfiber Cloth: It is perfect for wiping your dusty and dirty faux flowers without scratching delicate surfaces. Microfiber is gentle and effective for most materials.
Feather Duster or Small Brush: They are ideal for removing dust from broad surfaces of the flowers. A small brush can clean tight corners that cloths may miss.
Mild Dish Soap or Detergent: It is a gentle cleaning solution for removing grime without harming the material. Also remermber to avoid harsh soaps that could cause discoloration.
Vinegar Solution or Commercial Cleaning Sprays: A mixture of vinegar and water is a natural and effective way to clean tougher stains. You can also use sprays specifically designed for artificial flower arrangements.
Cotton Swabs or Makeup Brushes: These are invaluable for cleaning intricate parts of fake flowers. With them, it will be easy to clean the flower petals’ edges or narrow crevices.
Compressed Air (Optional): Compressed air is ideal to blow away dust from hard-to-reach spots without direct contact. It is useful for delicate and detailed bloom arrangements.
Inspect the Material
The raw materials of the artificial flowers are different. Understanding their composition helps you to select the best way to clean.
Fabric Flowers: Made of silk or polyester, fabric or silk flowers require gentle handling. Remember to avoid water immersion. It can weaken adhesives and distort the fabric. Choose dry or slightly damp cleaning methods.
Plastic Flowers: Plastic flower petal and foliage are durable and water-resistant. They can withstand more robust cleaning techniques, such as washing or soaking.
Mixed Materials: Some artificial florals are made of fabric, plastic, and metal components. For these artificial blooms, you can choose a hybrid approach and treat the most delicate material as the priority to prevent damage.
Quick Methods to Clean Artificial Flowers
Clean and daily proper care for artificial flowers to maintain their beauty and extend their lifespan. Cleaning is not complicated. With a few simple methods, you can freshen them. Here are some quick ways to clean your artificial arrangements.
Step 1 | Dusting
You can start by cleaning the surface of your artificial flowers. You can use a soft, dry cloth or a fabric duster to dust your flowers. It’s important to be gentle to make sure not damage your artificial bouquets. If your faux plants or flowers have intricate designs or smaller parts, you can try using a soft-bristle paintbrush or a makeup brush. These tools will help you to remove dust from detailed areas without harming the artificial flower and greenery.
Step 2 | Using a Damp Cloth
For a deeper clean, lightly dampen a cloth with water and a little mild detergent. Do not get the cloth soaking wet because artificial flowers can be damaged if too much moisture seeps into them. Wipe off the flowers, starting with the petals and moving to the stems. Do not rub hard because you don’t want to create any friction that could cause the flowers to lose their shape or finish. Replace a heavily soiled cloth with a fresher, dampened one, but again be careful not to produce an overabundance of water that could seep into the base or materials.
Step 3 | Cleaning with Compressed Air or Hair Dryer
If you don’t like the idea of using cloths or water, another thing that works well is compressed air or a low setting on a hair dryer. This is great for getting dust out of the little delicate petals or from hard-to-reach areas, so just hold your hair dryer or air canister, or whatever you’re using, away from the flowers, probably about 6-12 inches away, and blow on them gently to blow the dust off. So, this is handy with both small little flowers like these and even big ones like that because you don’t use any water using this method either.
Step 4 | Avoid Water or Harsh Chemicals on Certain Materials
If you have artificial flowers that are made from delicate materials like silk, or if they have that kind of glittered surface and you can tell they’re not going to be able to be around water or harsh chemicals, the only option is dry cleaning. You can do very gentle dusting with these, or you can take a soft feather brush to clean your silk flowers. Other than that, if you need to do an overall cleaning, look for some of the specialized dry cleaning cloths that are made for fine, delicate fabrics.
Deep Cleaning Techniques
A quick dusting and wipe-down are usually all you need to maintain the beauty of artificial flowers. However, for times when you might need a more thorough cleaning, this chapter will also give you the tools you need to tackle that necessary chore.
Option 1 | Washing Artificial Flowers in Water
When it comes to washing plastic or fabric-type artificial flowers, you can clean them with water. Start by getting your basin and filling it with lukewarm water. Add a tiny bit of mild soap or dish detergent. Submerge your flowers gently, and swish them around a little bit. You can agitate them a little, and then let them sit that way for a few minutes. After that, you’ll rinse them off really well with clean water to remove all of the soapy residue. You can see there were a few flowers here that were a little bit delicate. Just be careful if you’ve got something delicate.
Option 2 | Using Flower Cleaning Sprays
You can see in this example that if you want to clean your flowers without water you can buy spray mists that are commercially available specifically for cleaning artificial flowers. They are designed to lift dirt and dust off of the flowers without using water. They usually come in a little spray bottle, and you just mist the flowers with the spray. The spraying usually consists of spraying on the mist, letting it sit for a moment, and then wiping off the residue with a rag or cloth.This particular stem and flowers are dirty. If you look closely, you will see the dust and dirt on the edges of the petals and leaves, approximately halfway up from the bottom of the picture at the top of the stem.
Cleaning with Vinegar Solution
If you need something to clean them where they are very soiled, stained, or have become discolored over time, there’s a mix of vinegar and water that you can use. Vinegar is of course a mild acid, and so with your rag, you just want to put a little mist of this on. Work your way down and around the flower, and you’ll notice that your vinegar mist will also help to neutralize any kind of fragrance that the flowers have gathered, perhaps from being in your house.
Using a Soft Brush for Delicate Parts
Use a soft brush when cleaning delicate parts, such as intricately designed petals or thin stems, on your artificial plants. A makeup brush, soft toothbrush, or paintbrush works well for carefully scrubbing the parts without damaging them. Utilize this equipment to lightly brush away any dust, dirt, or pollen that may have accumulated in tight spots. This method works especially well for flowers with intricate designs or fine details that are difficult to clean with a cloth or spray.
Cleaning Specific Types of Artificial Flowers
Different types of artificial flowers may require slightly different cleaning approaches. Also, it’s important to follow the best techniques to keep your artificial flowers looking great. Artificial flower cleaning techniques are included for silk flowers, plastic flowers including topiaries and any other type of artificial flowers.
Silk Flowers
Silk flowers are one of the most delicate types of artificial flowers. They require careful handling to avoid damage.
Option 1: Dust using a soft brush or fabric duster. For regular maintenance, you can use a soft-bristle brush or fabric duster to flip the petals and brush off the leaves. This is really good for light cleaning and to keept the dirt from building up.
Option 2: Use a damp cloth sparingly to clean. When you need to clean the flowers more thoroughly, you can use a slightly damp cloth to wipe the leaves and flowers. Do not soak them. A lot of moisture will make the silk lose its shape and finish. Concentrate on any areas with stains or grime.
Option 3: Try a silk-specific cleaner. There are cleaning sprays for silk flowers. These sprays remove dust and dirt and help you keep the appearance you like on your flowers. Follow the directions on the container and make sure they make solvents for silk and not some other fabric material that might damage your flowers.
Plastic Flowers
Plastic flowers are more durable than silk and can handle a bit more cleaning without being damaged.
Wash with soapy water or wipe down with a damp cloth. For a thorough clean, fill a basin with lukewarm water and a small amount of mild dish soap. Submerge the plastic flowers carefully, ensuring they’re completely covered. Gently scrub any areas with dirt or grime. Alternatively, you can use a damp cloth to wipe down the flowers if you prefer to avoid soaking them.
After you finish cleaning them, you should let them air-dry completely before you put them away. Lay them out where they will get good air circulation or turn a fan on them to help them dry faster. This will help prevent moisture from getting into the material and causing mold or mildew, which can ruin the way your flowers look over time.
Topiaries and Detailed Arrangements
Topiaries and small, detailed floral arrangements often pose the problem of tight spaces. These arrangements may have lots of little crevices where dirt and dust can get trapped. Cleaning these arrangements requires you to be a little bit gentler.
You can use a soft-bristle paintbrush to dust flowers in small or detailed
arrangements. Very gently rub the paintbrush back and forth to brush away
dirt and dust from in between leaves, trees, flowers, and branches.
The soft bristles won’t damage delicate parts, and they’ll easily remove dirt
and dust. For really tiny, intricate spaces, find a smaller brush with.
Artificial greenery and flowers add a charming and elegant touch to any space, but keeping them clean is crucial if you want them to remain beautiful. With the suggested methods in this guide, you’ll be able to quickly and easily keep your faux flowers looking fresh and vibrant so you can enjoy them last for years.
