Content

• Method 2 of 3: Cleaning plastic flowers
• Method 3 of 3: Cleaning Metal Flowers
• Tips
• What do you need

1 Dust flowers weekly. Move lightly with your broomstick back and forth over the areas where dust accumulates. Removing dust weekly will reduce dust and keep flowers cleaner in between thorough brushings. Instead of a dust brush, you can use:

• microfiber napkin;
• a hair dryer with a low temperature setting;
• a vacuum cleaner with an old sock pulled over the hose nozzle and fixed with an elastic band (if possible, it is also recommended to set the suction power to the minimum level).

2 Use a special cleaning spray for silk flowers. Moisten the flowers lightly with it. It is not required to wipe them after the spray. You can buy a similar spray in the household chemicals departments of large supermarkets.

• Cleaning sprays are quite effective, but they are quite expensive.

3 Shake the flowers in a bag of salt. Place the flowers in a ziplock bag and add a few tablespoons of coarse salt. Shake the contents of the bag gently for a minute. The grains of salt will act as a gentle abrasive, removing dust and dirt from the flowers. When finished, remove the flowers from the bag and shake off the remaining salt from them.

• Instead of salt, you can use two to three tablespoons of coarse corn. When applying corn, follow the same instructions as for salt.

4 Sprinkle the flowers with an aqueous vinegar solution. If you are confident you will not damage the flowers by slightly dampening them, fill a spray bottle with equal parts distilled white wine vinegar and water. Sprinkle the flowers lightly with the solution and let dry. Place a towel under the flowers to absorb the drops of the solution.

5 Use soap and water. Fill a sink with room temperature water and add a few drops of dish soap. Gently rinse each flower in a soapy water solution, gently wiping off any stubborn dirt. Then immediately remove the flowers from the water and blot them dry with a clean towel.

• Be careful when dabbing flowers from moisture, as the towel can weaken the fastening of individual parts of the flower.
• Do not soak flowers in water if they are hand-picked with glue and floral tape. Soaking will break the adhesive and weaken the floral tape.

SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

Susan stocker

Green Cleaning Specialist Susan Stoker is the owner and manager of Susan's Green Cleaning, Seattle's number one green cleaning company. Well known in the region for its exceptional customer service protocols (won the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics and Integrity) and its strong support for sustainable cleaning practices.

Susan stocker
The Green Cleaning Specialist

Our expert agrees: “Prepare a solution of dish soap and warm water. Lightly dampen the microfiber cloth and wipe the flowers with it. "

Method 2 of 3: Cleaning plastic flowers

1. 1 Dust off flowers. Perform this procedure weekly to prevent dust build-up. Carefully sweep the dust back and forth. Since plastic is stronger than silk, any of the following alternatives can be used to remove dust from it:
   • feather duster from dust;
   • microfiber napkin;
   • hairdryer set to minimum heating;
   • compressed air cylinder.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Bridgett Price

   
   
   Cleaning professional Bridgette Price is a cleaning guru and co-owner of Maideasy, a residential cleaning company in Phoenix, Arizona. He holds an MSc in Management with a specialization in digital and traditional marketing from the University of Phoenix.

   Bridgett Price
   Cleaning professional

   Our expert agrees: “Artificial flowers collect a lot of dust, so always remove it first. You can even use a vacuum cleaner to collect dust. You can also use a store-bought vinegar-based cleaner to shine and revitalize the flowers. "

2. 2 Use lemon juice. Pour it into a spray bottle. Sprinkle the juice over the stained areas of the flowers. The citric acid will help break down dirt and grease.
   • If the dirt is particularly stubborn, rub it gently with a cloth or dishwashing glove. Then rinse the flowers with cool water. When finished rinsing, lay them out on the table to dry.
   • Never use hot water, as it can weaken the glue that holds the individual parts of the flower together.
   • Try not to scrub the flowers with the brushes, or they may be damaged.
3. 3 Apply glass cleaner. It is best to use ammonia-based cleaners. Spray all flowers completely with glass cleaner. Then place them in the sun for 30 minutes. This will help activate the cleaner and restore the original colors.

Method 3 of 3: Cleaning Metal Flowers

1. 1 Dust flowers weekly. Sweep the dust back and forth between them. Since metal is stronger than plastic and silk, dust can also be wiped off with a hand towel or microfiber cloth.
2. 2 Deal with tarnishing. Combine two parts distilled white wine vinegar and one part water. Soak the flowers in the solution for about two hours. Then remove them from the solution and rinse with tap water. Dry the flowers with a towel. The vinegar water solution can be replaced with:
   • tomato juice;
   • a mixture of two parts milk and one part water.
3. 3 Remove rust. Scrape off any excess with a wire brush. Then use a brush to apply a special rust remover (transform) to the rust-affected surface. Alternatively, you can use a spray product. Once the treated area turns black, it can be repainted.
   • In whatever form you use the product (liquid or spray), never use it indoors.Its vapors are toxic. Only use it outdoors to ensure good ventilation.

Tips

• If it is possible to safely disassemble the individual parts of the flowers, do so. This makes them easier to clean.

What do you need

• For silk flowers
  • Dust duster or microfiber cloth
  • Silk Flower Cleaning Spray
  • Coarse salt or corn
  • Distilled White Wine Vinegar
  • Water
  • Dish detergent
• For plastic flowers
  • Dust duster, microfiber cloth, compressed air cylinder or hairdryer
  • Lemon juice
  • Glass cleaner
• For metallic flowers
  • Dust duster or microfiber cloth
  • Tomato juice or milk
  • Rust remover (transform)