Succulents are very popular plants around the world. They are super easy to grow and care for. Although, they do not need much attention, sometimes they need a little cleaning.
In this article, I will share my cleaning process to teach you the cleaning of succulents. Before that let’s quickly get to know: How to clean the succulents?
For cleaning succulents, you need to use a soft brush, air blower, and tweezer. Then gently wipe off the dirt from the leaves by the brush or air-blow it. Use tweezers for pulling out the little pieces of rocks or dirt from the bottom or inside of the succulents.
I have a huge succulent collection and I clean them frequently. Sometimes, when I bring the new succulents, they are packed in a box.
When I open them there is dust all over my plants and few black, brown dirt spots. These succulents need a bit of cleaning and care after unpacking them.
Should you clean succulent leaves?
When you are growing succulents indoors, there are high chances of dust accumulation on the succulent leaves. Which can hamper the healthy growth of the succulents.
You must get rid of the dust from the leaves by cleaning them. But while cleaning the succulent leaves you should do it with a soft brush to avoid damaging the succulents.
To clean the succulent leaves, simply wipe off the dirt from the leaves with a soft brush, air blower, or damp cloth. I will tell you the stepwise process later in the article.
How do you clean succulent leaves?
When you unpack your new succulents, they have dust all over them (this always happens with me). You have to clean the dust before adding them to your collection.
Sometimes, your old succulents can also have a lot of dust all over them. You need to clean them too, for keeping them healthy. So, for this process, you will need a few tools.
- Soft Brush (Painting Brush is perfect)
- Air Blower
- Tweezer
Once you have all these things it’s time to start cleaning them. There are three ways to clean them.
By Using Painting Brush
Gently start by rubbing the brush all over the succulent. Make sure to rub the brush under the leaves too. Do not rub the brush too much on the leaves as some of the succulents have a farina coating.
This coating appears white and acts as a sunscreen for them. If you remove this coating by excessive rubbing that can damage the succulents.
For cleaning the succulents with a brush make sure to use a soft and small brush. This will avoid damaging them and will clean them correctly.
By Air blower
To clean the succulents you can use the air blower. It blows the air on the plant and removes the dust from the succulents. I prefer cleaning the succulents first from the blower then the remaining dirt with the help of a brush.
First, for cleaning succulents with the air blower, take a succulent that needs cleaning and gently blow the air on the leaves. Then continue air blowing by moving to stems and at the bottom of the succulents.
In this way, you will be able to blow away all the dirt from the plant.
By using Tweezers
Tweezers are used for cleaning the succulents where it is very hard to reach for a brush or air blowers. With the tweezers, you can remove the small rocks or any other solid dust particles very easily.
To clean them with tweezers you just need to spot the dirt and pull them away with tweezers. You should be a little careful while using this, as there are high chances of damaging the succulents.
Also, make sure that the tools are well sanitized before using them.
My Recommendation: ( Complete gardening kit)
How do I make my succulent leaves shiny?
It is very common to lose the shiny leaves of the succulents once they get older. If you like to have clean and shiny succulent leaves, you need to apply this homemade solution to their leaves.
For that you will need a few things:
- Glass bowl
- Olive oil
- Dish wash soap
- A soft brush or Earbuds
- Water
Step 1
Take a glass bowl and pour a cup of water into it. Then a few drops of washing detergent or soap, soap will remove the dirt and will prevent any infection.
Step 2
Then add a spoon or a few drops of olive oil to the bowl. Then mix all the ingredients properly.
Now you have the homemade solution to clean the leaves and this will give the plant natural shine. Do not use artificial leaf shiners, they cause more damage to the succulents.
Step 3
Now by using a brush or a cloth apply the solution to the leaves and rub it. Make sure to do it gently without damaging the leaves.
While applying it at the joining of the leaves or switching it from one leaf to another, be cautious, as they can break very easily. Apply just enough solution to dampen the leaves, so that it will be easier for you to wash them.
Then rinse off the solution with water and let them dry, for drying use the air blower. This will dry the succulents way faster.
This mixture is completely healthy and you can use it for multiple purposes. Be it for cleaning the succulents or for shining the leaves, this is the perfect way to treat and clean your beautiful succulents.
Related:
Alternatives for cleaning the succulents:
There are a few alternatives for cleaning the succulents. These are super easy ways and do not take much time.
1. Damp cloth
This is a super easy method for cleaning the succulents. You just need to dampen a colt with water.
Make sure to get the soft cloth, then wipe off the dirt from the leaves and the stems. It is a very simple method that isn’t time-consuming at all.
2. Soap and Water
This is another very easy-to-use way of cleaning succulents. Make a cleaning solution by mixing the soap and water and apply it to the succulents.
To apply this solution you can use cotton balls or cloth. This solution will remove all the residue on the leaves and will also treat fungal infections.
Final Thoughts
Succulents are very low-maintenance plants and are super easy to grow. They should be cleaned frequently so that they can stay healthy. Use the above-mentioned methods for cleaning the succulents.
I hope you found this article helpful. Do share this information with others.
Happy Planting!!
