Easy Ways to Clean Artificial Flowers

Salt Shake

• The salt-shake method works well for artificial blooms or silk flowers that may not be colorfast. All you need is a paper bag and approximately a cup of regular salt. Empty the salt into the sack, put your artificial flowers inside, secure the top of the bag and shake for a couple of minutes. Salt acts as a non-toxic abrasive, scrubbing the dust off in all those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies of the plant. Remove the flowers, and remember to give them a good shake outside the bag to knock off any remaining salt crystals.

Hair Spray

• For larger flowers and plants, a quick misting with aerosol hair spray removes dust, but this should be done either outside or in a large open area with plenty of air circulation. A regular hair spray will do the job, but don't use pumps that spritz the hair; you need the fine mist action powered by an aerosol can, otherwise large droplets could be left behind on the delicate plant fabric, staining it.

Suds Swish

• For cleaning, nothing beats soap and water, but first, you should do some pre-cleaning and color testing. A quick all-over motion with a feather or a nylon duster will take off the top level of dust. Before a soapy deep-cleaning, take one petal or leaf and get it wet to test for colorfastness. If the color runs, then use the salt shake method. If the color stays, then prepare a lukewarm bath for your plant with a sink full of room-temperature water and a tablespoon of either liquid dish soap or powdered dish detergent. Agitate the water with your hand to activate the suds, hold the flowers by the stems and give them a quick swish through the bath. Rinse them in cool water, and either pat dry with a microfiber cloth or air dry upside down.