Spring Cleaning Silk Arrangements

by Lady Jess

We have many artificial plants in our home, not because we’re lazy, but because it’s easy and pretty at the same time. Anyway, they have been getting really dusty as of late and I looked up some simple ways to clean artificial plants, flower arrangements and wreaths. There are specific artificial flower assembly or manufacturing processes that may not withhold to stronger methods of cleaning silk flowers.

Before we begin, let’s take a close look at the silk flower stems and foliage that you want to clean. Let’s answer a few questions. Are the flowers and leaves made of a fabric, plastic, or do they have a latex finish? Does it look like the details on the petals might be hand-painted? Does the stem look and feel like it is hand-wrapped with a floral tape, or is it made from molded plastic?

Next, check the bellies of the petals and leaves. Does it look like they were glued to their supports? A thin wire, or a plastic ‘branch’. How are those parts attached to the main stem? Wired, taped or snap-on.

My concern is if trying these methods may ruin fabrics and finishes, or dissolve delicately assembled parts. Take your findings into consideration if you decide to try cleaning your silk flowers and plants with the following techniques. It’s up to you to decide the level of risk, if any!

These methods may involve partial dismantling of an artificial floral arrangement. Remove one stem or several at a time, whatever you are comfortable with. Clean and replace these stems before removing others.

1. To clean the dust off of the plant, you can put it in a large garbage bag with about a cup of salt or cornmeal, depending on the size of the arrangement. If it is a larger arrangement, perhaps you should clean it in pieces. If it is smaller, then a smaller amount of cleaning method is required. If the flowers are in a basket or cup of some kind, be sure to remove it from the base before you place it in the bag. Once it is in the bag with the cleaning method shake it vigorously to remove any dust particles. Remove from the bag and shake, or blow with a blower, to make sure that all of the salt and/or cornmeal is removed before bringing it back into your house.
2. If it is a plastic plant, remove it from it’s container and take it outside. Make sure that the plant has not been hand painted, or it will ruin it. *Never soak a hand-wrapped silk flower stem with water – this will dissolve the glue particles and weaken the elasticity of the floral tape and cause the plant to droop.* Rinse it down with a hose to remove dust. Then, set it in the sun to dry.
3. Take the wreath outside and blow it down with a leaf blower to remove large amounts of dust, then use step 4.
4. If you don’t want to remove any parts from a silk flower arrangement, and you think the assembly and fabrics can withstand some moisture, you may want to try filling a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar to clean silk flowers. Spray the plant and wipe it down with a dry rag. *Test a small area first for colorfastness. This technique is NOT recommended for hand-wrapped or hand-painted artificial flowers.* It is recommended to remove, clean, then replace artificial floral stems one at a time if you are refreshing a silk floral arrangement. Test for colorfastness if you are not sure.
5. Fill the sink or a bucket with COOL water (hot water may melt any glue that was used on the wired petals or plastic leaf supports). Add a small squirt of gentle dish washing detergent and mix well.

   - Remove the stems one at a time and swish gently in the water. Keep in mind that some pieces may be glued together, such as the bellies of leaves, and may easily come apart. If there are stubborn areas of built up grime, you could rub them very gently.

   - When the piece is clean, BLOT dry as best you can on a soft cloth – do not rub! Replace in the arrangement and repeat with the rest.

   *If your silk flowers and artificial greenery are old, faded, or in any general bad shape, why not discard them and buy new ones? They will freshen up your house and remove the dust all at once. Besides, it’s good to replace older flower arrangements every so often, to avoid a build up of dust mites and allergens.

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter for deaf ministry, sings in a local choir, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.