During my route of taking care of plants at offices and homes around Albuquerque, people ask me all sorts of things about plants.
One question I get frequently is about how to shine houseplant leaves. People want to know if it’s ok to use leaf shine products, which usually come in a spray.
“Noooooooooooo!” I scream as I hear the question. No, not really, but in my head I’m asking why, why would anyone use that crap, why? There are so many other ways, healthier ways to shine leaves.
To Use a Leaf Shine Product or Not to Use a Leaf Shine Product?
There is a ton of conflicting information out there about whether or not leaf shine products are good for your plants. Some people say they clog the pores of the leaves. Other people say it doesn’t hurt them at all. Still others are so entranced by the shine that they don’t care if it’s good or bad for the plant.
Here’s my take. Will using a leaf shine product kill a plant? No, absolutely not. You may not even lose any leaves. But my question is, why bother? I think that oily shine looks unnatural which defeats the purpose of having a bit of nature in the house. Plus, there are other ways to clean and shine leaves. I’ll show you how in a minute, first, here’s what really bugs me about leaf shine products:
This is an Anthurium that was delivered to one of my client’s offices as a thank you for who knows what. See how shiny those top leaves are? Well, look at a lower leaf:
Spotty and gross. That’s what leaf shine products eventually do to plants. Normally, I wouldn’t care because it’s not one of the plants they pay me to maintenance. But this is a really small office and the girls there haven’t been caring for it, so I just took over the care. I like Anthuriums and would like to see this one bloom again – it’s got bubble-gum colored blossoms.
This is after I used a damp cloth with a little dish soap. Those spots are never coming off that leaf. It’s ruined! So I cut it off.
How to Clean and Shine Leaves
Cleaning dust and grime off leaves is important to the overall health of any houseplant. So what else should you use instead of leaf shine products to get a healthy glow to your plants?
Lots of people recommend a mixture of a little milk and water. Milk? Are you kidding me? I’ve also heard banana peels work, a little potato or even mayonnaise.
ALL OF THESE ARE RIDICULOUS!
I don’t care if Grandma swears by it – don’t ever use food or food products to clean leaves, it’s stupid and unnecessary. There’s no point to it, and it seems certain to me that the milk or fruit would attract pests. Even if it doesn’t attract pests, it’s completely unnecessary.
See how dusty these leaves are? This is a Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensis). There’s no need to pull out milk and cotton balls or Q-tips.
A dry cloth (and a gentle touch – you don’t want to hurt the leaves) is all you need.
See? Shiny leaves just moments later.
Now, that was gentle dust – a feather duster would’ve worked just fine, too. For plants in kitchens or places where they get a coat of grime underneath the dust, a dry cloth won’t work. But a wet one with a little bit of dish soap works great. For plants with lots of small leaves (therefore very labor intensive to dust), use the shower or bathtub, with lukewarm water.
Maybe you’ve had great experiences with leaf shine products or mayo to shine the leaves of your plants. If so, I’d be interested to know. Or if you have a different remedy than a dry cloth, feather duster, or soap and water, I’d be interested to know that, too.
Leave your comments if you wish. Until next time, happy indoor gardening everyone!
35 comments
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January 27, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Noelle (azplantlady)
What great information and you are probably saving people a lot of money since they wouldn’t dare buy commercial leaf-shine products after reading your post. I am glad that a dry dust cloth is what you recommend – that is what I have been using for my orchid leaves.
January 29, 2010 at 12:20 am
Deborah Elliott
Thanks for the great information. I know better than to use all those products, but recently I was trying to clean a Christmas cactus with grimy leaves and plain water didn’t work. So it still looks grimy. I’m glad to know I can use a little dish soap. I think that should do great!
January 29, 2010 at 12:32 am
Catherine
This is a really informative post. When I used to have more houseplants I would notice how dusty some of them got, I would just use a damp washcloth to wipe them off. I have never tried a leaf shine product, but it looks like it causes a worse problem by using it.
January 29, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Evelyn
Thanks for the tip. Oops must take a look at my plant – I havent cleaned the leaves in ages, but I only use water if I do. THanks for the reminder!
January 13, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Steve
I suspect that using a leaf shine product on my stressed out ficus elastica (first a long dry spell, then over-watering) it started to drop leaves fast. It’s also a very low light time of year, and it’s been cloudy more often than not. I really think the leaf shine hurt it just enough to decimate the once majestic, 6 stalk 5′ high beauty. I wish I had stuck with a damp cloth!
April 22, 2012 at 9:54 pm
goodtogrow
Thanks everyone for sharing! I’m glad to help.
April 13, 2012 at 11:36 pm
Pennie
Same here. I sprayed Miracle Grow leaf shine on a gorgeous thin leaf plant, and it darn near killed it. This was about a year ago. I still look at my plant and feel so bad. It’s holding on, but no where near as nice as it once was.
May 22, 2012 at 7:52 pm
goodtogrow
Oh, what a bummer about your plant, Pennie!
May 21, 2012 at 11:51 am
Muhammad Faisal Nasir
I am agree with you but i do a little different i have a shower bottle with just simple tap water ,i shower each leaf and all the dust drain out … but its touchy for smaller leaves like photos (MONEY PLANT).
May 22, 2012 at 7:53 pm
goodtogrow
Sometimes I use water, too, Muhammad, particularly if a plant has grease or grime on its leaves. Thanks for stopping by my site!
September 6, 2012 at 5:17 am
Christina
Well, darn it! I have never tried Leaf Shine but just recently bought a bottle. I do Garden Design and thought that might be a nice finishing touch to plants like Bromeliads. Now, I am scared to even use it. lol
September 6, 2012 at 12:52 pm
goodtogrow
Christina, Bromeliads are pretty enough on their own without Leaf Shine. Do whatever you need to do, but I can’t recommend it. I think it’s harmful to the plants.
May 20, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Florence Moore
I have been using leaf shine with no ill effects and also mist plain water
July 7, 2013 at 10:13 pm
goodtogrow
That’s good for you, Florence. Your plants must be strong.
June 24, 2013 at 2:03 pm
Mary Ann
I used green glo plant polish on a prayer plant and now I have to water it a lot more frequently because the leaves look wilty. Does this stuff block pores? Can I wash it off leaves?
July 7, 2013 at 10:15 pm
goodtogrow
You should be able to wash it off, Mary Ann. If it won’t come off, then give your plant some vitamins to encourage new growth that doesn’t have the spray on it.
August 1, 2013 at 2:35 pm
Erica
Could those spots be from hard water? It is on leaves close to the dirt, where someone might get water on the leaves. I have never used leaf shine or home remedies for shine because I’ve heard they leave a sticky residue. I also agree mayo and similar products would probably attract insects.
October 6, 2013 at 10:56 pm
goodtogrow
Erica, sure, they could be from hard water. But the plant did come from a florist so that’s why I suspect a leaf shine product. Without knowing for sure the plant’s history, it’s hard to say one way or another.
August 24, 2013 at 8:33 pm
Vee
About 30 years ago, I used mayo on my house plants. A month later they were all dead, every. single. one. of them…. I have used one leaf shine product infrequently, maybe once every 4 or 5 years, usually when we were putting our house up for sale (forgot the name of it), but it didn’t damage my plants.
October 6, 2013 at 10:57 pm
goodtogrow
Oh dear – mayo claims more victims!!!! That’s too bad.
My personal opinion is that leaf shine products don’t always cause damage, but they’re still a waste of money and unnecessary. And the times they do cause damage are just a bummer.
September 18, 2013 at 3:01 pm
Linda
Christina, I have used Miracle Grow Leaf Shine for many years. Never had any problems and have received many compliments on how beautiful my plants look at home and in the office. Read the label on the Leaf Shine bottle as to what to spray and what not to spray. However, I will also try the dry cloth method.
October 6, 2013 at 10:58 pm
goodtogrow
Linda, you’re not alone – lots of people have had success. But it’s a risk I don’t want to take, because I know how to shine leaves without the spray. It’s a little extra work but it’s worth it to me.
November 11, 2013 at 5:22 pm
chris
I find it much quicker to wear a soft cotton glove. There is no cloth to maneuver.
January 1, 2014 at 11:16 pm
goodtogrow
That’s a great idea, thanks!
June 2, 2014 at 7:20 pm
Ramona
An old pair of cotton socks is perfect for dusting… anything really! Slip them on your hands and go to work. In just a few minutes, all your dusting will be done, without the use of chemicals. Dampen a little if needed for the tough jobs, toss in the washer and use again and again! 🙂
June 10, 2014 at 12:28 am
goodtogrow
A good use of recycling! Thank you for your tip.
June 23, 2014 at 7:18 am
Marlene
So what is the best way to clean a Christmas cactus? Mine are filthy!
June 23, 2014 at 4:48 pm
goodtogrow
Hi Marlene! What kind of filthy? Greasy? Dusty? Have you tried the shower?
November 13, 2014 at 5:11 am
Guida Belo-Alves
My Janet Craig just bloomed after 25 years. Thie plant has been in my family for years and the flowers are so pretty can you tell me if I will see the plant bloom again. Yes I have used mayonaise to clean once. Didnt like it but the leaves were left glossy and vibrant but I like water its less messy.
November 18, 2014 at 10:41 pm
goodtogrow
Ew – mayonnaise? That’s pretty gross, haha. I’m glad you went back to plain water.
If you want your Dracaena to bloom, you should fertilize it. Plants consume the nutrients in the soil, and it’s up to us to replace those nutrients. I think you’ll find that once you start feeding them, they’ll respond by blooming. Good luck!
December 17, 2014 at 12:54 am
Adrien
I read to use plant shine as a way to give the plant protection from mealy bugs. I recently had a bad infestation of mealybugs on one of my hanging house plants and I noticed a very light infestation on another one at the same time. I washed the plants with a steam of water and gave them a spray bath with soapy water. Is there anything I can use to protect my place from future infestation?
February 10, 2015 at 3:56 pm
goodtogrow
Hi Adrien! I’ve never heard that about plant spray. I suppose it could work. But mealy bugs are persistent little bugs. I’m not sure water and soap will keep them away. You’ll probably have to use bigger guns.
August 16, 2015 at 12:30 pm
Draceana plant Clark
I have a Anita draceana I take a drawstring garbage bag set the pot in and tie around the trunk of plant set it in the tub take my spray bottle spray the plant leaves very well till bottle is empty u can see dirt in bottom of tub then turn on shower rinse well until there’s no more soap shake plant gently get off excess water let dry no harm to plant.
August 18, 2015 at 3:49 pm
goodtogrow
That sounds like an effective method!
August 20, 2015 at 1:15 am
Draceana plant Clark
Yes it is! I took a chance my leaves were getting really dirty so I just went for it the leaves greener and has grown since.