How to clean a ficus plants leaves

[shivvy]

I have only recently noticed how dusty the leaves on my ficus plant are - quite embarassing really!
I often clean larger leaved houseplants but I aint washing every leaf on this. Has anyone got any helpful hints on how to make it an easy job?

[woofgang]

have you got one of those showers on a hose? Put the plant in the bath or shower and hose it over with cool not cold water.

[Whoever]

Depending on its size, would it be possible to put it in your bath or shower cubicle and shower the dust of all the leaves? I've done this very effectively with several large house plants in the past. In the summer of course when it's warmer you can put them outside and let a rain shower do the work for you.

[jaydah]

Spray it under the shower

[woofgang]

well we all agree....

[karenmac60]

Are we talking rubber plant here? This used to be my job with my mum's gigantic rubber plant. I would get a bowl of lukewarm water and some cotton wool and then just gently wipe the damp cotton wool down each leaf from the stem to the point. After I'd done each leaf and let them dry, I'd give them another wipe with baby bio leaf shine - although I see they now do it in aerosol form so you can just give it a fine spray and you have a perfect sparkling plant. If you can't be bothered, enlist a child - either your own or someone else's, I always felt very satisfied that I'd done such a good job :)

[welshlibranr]

Nothing like a rubber plant karen, a ficus has thousands of small leaves, and often grows to be large quickly, they're very atrractive plants, but do tend to get dusty, showering them would seem the best option, .............

[karenmac60]

A rubber plant is ficus elastica - so it depends on what type of ficus shivvy has.

[welshlibranr]

sorry karen, I'm assuming it's the one I have, but not sure of the full name of it!.......it's generally referred to as a ficus though...........

[karenmac60]

You're probably right Welsh :)

[welshlibranr]

they're a nightmare to keep dust free karen, they hae shiny small leaves and the dust just sticks to them!..........lovely plant, but hard to keep clean!..........

[pastafreak]

A spell in the shower is beneficial for a lot of plants....it really seems to refresh them.

[karenmac60]

In that case the Baby bio Leaf Shine should work quite well to protect it after giving it a shower - it says it provides long lasting dust resistant leaf shine. And since it's an aerosol it'd be easy to apply. I have no houseplants - my cats eat them all.

[AlBags]

Ficus Ficus ... Cotton Wool and milk was the old way .. after that Karen is on the button : )

( xxx )

[karenmac60]

How did you know Al? ;) xx

[AlBags]

.. incl Ficus Elastica

I read a lot about plants and gardening when I bought first cottage in '89. Gertrude Jeckyl was my gardening idol : )

[karenmac60]

Not what I meant ;)

[AlBags]

Ah .. The bean thing .. .Home alone again then? x

[karenmac60]

Nope :D

[AlBags]

OK .. Remote ... Telephone ... Wii ?! : )

[sidkid]

Ficus Benjamina? (including the variegated version) very popular in garden centres....had one for years - rely on summer showers to keep it looking good...