Effective and Easy Ways to Clean Your Fake Flowers

People buy silk flowers for their homes because they are so easy to maintain. But that doesn’t mean you can put your fake flowers in a corner and forget about cleaning them forever. Like every other knickknack or side table in your house, a powdery layer of dust will eventually settle on your faux blooms, dulling their vibrant colors a shade or two. You may think a feather duster or vacuum cleaner are adequate fake flower cleaning tools, but these should be used to complement more thorough cleanings, every three to six months. The following are some of the most effective silk flower cleaning methods known to homemakers. Read on to learn how easy it is to keep your fake flower arrangements as gorgeous as they were the day you brought them home.

The Salt and Paper Bag Method

-requires a brown paper bag and one cup of salt.

-Pour salt into paper bag

-Remove your faux flowers from their container, and place them in the paper bag

-Seal the bag by rolling the top over a few times

-Shake the bag with moderate force, or as much as you think your fake flowers can withstand; the salt will graze the crevices of your faux flowers, removing dust and grime, during this process

-Open the bag and shake your flowers out to rid them of the salt. Primp and fluff your arrangement to restore it to its original shape.

-Remember to store your salt and paper bag; they can be used over and over!

 Cool Water Wash

-requires a double sink or two large bowls, soft cloth or gloves, lemon dish detergent, cool water, and paper towels.

-Fill your sink or bowls with cool water. Do NOT use hot water, because it will weaken the gluethat holds your fake flower arrangement together.

-Add a small amount of lemon detergent to one side of the sink, or one of the bowls. Swishit around until suds form.

-Remove silk flowers from their container and swish them around in the soapy water. To removestubborn grime, use soft cloth or gloves to gently rub it way. Do not scrub the flowers, as they   may fray or fall apart.

-Rinse soap from your flowers in the clean water thoroughly—excess soap will cause residue to build up more quickly!

-Lay your fake flowers on a paper towel and blot them with a dry cloth. Return partially-dried silk flowers to their container and display them, allowing flowers to air dry. 

Rice Cleaning Method

-requires half a cup of white rice, and one plastic shopping bag

Remove fake flowers from their container and place them, and a half-cup of white rice, into the shopping bag

-Twist the bag closed and shake it up for one minute. Static electricity will remove the dust from your flowers during this process. It is similar to the salt method, but white rice is softer than salt, making this an ideal method for your most delicate fake flowers.

-Open the bag and turn your silk flowers upside down. Give them two or three hard shakes to remove the rice and fluff the flowers

-Primp flowers to restore them to their original shape before returning them to their container for display

In addition to these methods, consider purchasing a silk plant cleaner from your local department or home improvement store for periodic spray cleaning. Simply take your fake flowers outside, spray them down, and let them dry. These solutions are non-toxic, but may have a chemical odor, so leave your flowers outdoors for a day or two after spraying if you are sensitive to smells.