How to Clean Silk Trees

Spray your tree with silk plant cleaner and let it dry. No wiping is required. Some people, however, find the fumes bothersome and prefer to spray their plants outside, or use an altogether different method.

Turn your trusty blow-dryer to its coolest setting and blow the dust bunnies off your ficus. This strategy works particularly well for extremely dusty plants. You can also use the canned anti-static air that is usually used to clean electronics. Canned air is readily available in the electronics departments of most big retail stores.

Spray a light coat of Endust directly onto a feather duster and ruffle the feathers with your hand to ensure an even coating. Give the tree a good once-over with the feather duster. The tree should come out dust-free, looking and smelling great.

Give your tree a shower. Douse it in the bathtub and let it drip dry, or haul the plant outside and spray it down with a garden hose. Test one leaf first to make sure the water doesn't stain the silk. In most cases, it won't.

Whip out your blush brush and give the tree a leaf-by-leaf makeover. This is not a time-effective strategy, but the tree will look fantastic. Just remember to wash the brush thoroughly when you're done, or you could wind up with a bad allergy attack the next time you're giving yourself the same treatment you gave the tree.