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How to Make Indoor Plant Leaves Shiny

Plants are the compact beauty with the leaves. Shiny leaves the true meaning of a plant. The prior effort is to get a healthy plant instead of shiny leaves. If the plant is healthy, the leaves will automatically be shiny. A healthy plant does clean its dust by its transpiration process through the air. But manual cleaning of leaves is very helpful to plants to continue their transpiration and photosynthesis process smoothly. 

Are commercial cleaners harmful to plants?

It’s sad but true sometimes. Commercial plant cleaner sellers do not reveal the formula of the cleaning solution. So it’s tough to get their ingredients. As they are commercial business sellers, we do not know how bad it is for plants. As a result, it may clog the pore of the plant’s leaves. It may damage the foliages of the plants.

So let’s have a look at the methods through which you can get rid of dull foliages in your indoor premises.

DIY Methods

How to make indoor plant leaves shiny on a budget? DIY methods are the very pre-eminent solution to get shiny leaves in your garden. I must say these are affordable and easy-going solutions for you. Let’s go deeper into the details of these solutions.

 Wiped Down by Damp Cloth

The first step is to wipe down the leaves with a clean cloth. Before wiping the leaves, drown the clothes in water. Wet clothes are flexible to wipe the dust out from the leaves. Instead of a wet cloth, you can take a paper towel. If you have fewer indoor plants on your premises, you can do it by yourself. It’s an easy process. But keep your eyes on the leaves so that they don’t get broken. Do it with less pressure as the leaves and stems are so delicate.

For example  African Violet. This houseplant is such a mesmerizing plant with little blue, white flowers. The leaves are almost oval-shaped. You can use a wet cloth to wipe their dust to clean it. After cleaning them, they will shine like the sun’s reflection on the water.

Soap and Water Diluted Solution

Soap and water mixture is the primary solution to get the plants’ leaves to shine. You might notice some white fungus-type and also black fungus insects in the plants’ leaves. Those clogs the pore of the leaves called powdery mildew. Use soap and water mixture to get rid of them.

As they cover the leaves, so clean up them with the soap and water mixture. By this, you are doing two in one job. You are removing the fungus as well as shining purposes are done too. You won’t believe how effective this method is to give a shiny vibe to the leaves. In replace of soap, you can use detergent too. It will work the same as the soap.

To do so, use a spray bottle taking water and soap mixtures. Use the spray radially and gently on the leaves. But be aware of using excess soap or detergent. And you don’t need to worry about the water droplets on leaves.

Diluted Milk Spray

If you want to rely on some organic ways and natural shine, then diluted milk is on the top list for you. Because milk has protein which increases the brightness of the leaves. In this method, take 60% water and milk, mix them well and spray it out onto the leaves.

It prevents the powdery mildew from the leaves. Milk is the best anti-fungal solution for leaves. Also, milk is very nutritious for plants. It contains calcium which enhances the growth of the plants too. For further queries, you can visit this article to be more specific on this method. As an alternative to milk, you can use mayonnaise too if you can afford it.

Vinegar Solution Spray

To get a lustrous plant, a high diluted vinegar solution is like magic to shine the leaves. Houseplant leaves look happy when they are misted. Vinegar solution is a fine organic leaves cleaner. This does not make the pores clogged. Vinegar mixture cleans the dusty plant and has no interruption in the stomatal system of the leaves. The vinegar mixture makes the leaves glossy. It wipes the spider mites from the leaves. Plant leaves will get rid of limescale gaining a shiny look. Try to use fewer vinegar quantities in water.

Mineral Oils for Glossiness

To get extra glossy indoor leaves, mineral oils are incomparable. You will be surprised after seeing the leaves when using mineral oils on them. To get extraordinary glossiness on leaves, do not use other greasy oil which may cause dust. Those specks of dust can clog the stomatal pore on the leaves.

It may affect the photosynthesis and transpiration process. As a result, the plants may die while they won’t get carbon dioxide. But using mineral oils does not block the leaf pores. Do not try this method more than a few times in a year.

Banana Peelings to Avoid Specks of Dust

A banana peel might sound weird to you. But this is an effective way to get shiny leaves. Banana peels are slightly basic and slippery, so it works like a magnet to iron. The slippery substance helps you to wipe the dust from the leaves. It is easy to make the leaves shiny through banana peels. See how to apply this on leaves. You will have potassium-rich food alongside the shiny indoor plant leaves. Follow the banana peel method once a week to maintain the good shiny quality on fuzzy leaves.

The above methods are easy handling methods to give shiny looks to a house plant. But some other methods give shiny looks but can damage the plants also. However, gardeners or plant owners sometimes use those tricks to get shiny leaves in their indoors. Let’s have details talk below-

Greasy Mayonnaise

For instant glossy looks on leaves, some plants owner use mayonnaise. The think the mayonnaise will make the leaves extra glossy and healthy. But this is wrong. Mayonnaise may help the to shine but it blocks the stomata pores. As a planter, you might know leaves are the source of their inhale and exhale system. If the pores get clogged, the plant may get damaged in a while. On the other hand, it welcomes the dust more on leaves. And a makes a sticky dusty layer on the leaves. So avoid mayonnaise to make indoor plants shiny.

Vegetable Oil or Coconut Oil

Mineral oil is quite good for shiny leaves. But vegetable or coconut oils are not good for leaves. Because it blocks the leaf pores and inhibits the transpiration system. But it can help you to make shiny indoor plant leaves. This method also makes a  sticky dust layer on leaves after using oil. I must suggest you avoid this method also.

Commercial Leaf- Shiner

Commercial leaf shine products are good at shining the leaves. But when you spray it on the leaves, it will keep the chemical storage layer on the leaves. It might be a result of pores clogging. Commercial leaf shiner like miracle gro leaf will instantly give a shiny gesture to your houseplants. But consecutively it will damage the foliages. My personnel recommendation does not to use commercial leaf shine products to get shiny indoor leaves. Why not use it, give a read to this article for better understanding. The commercial leaf shine products have chemical ingredients which put a chemical layer or blockage on leaves. Better you should use homemade leaf shine products to get glossy shine house plants. Commercial products can not take proper care of house plants.

Suggestions

We have talked a lot about the methods to get shiny houseplant leaves. But I may recommend some tips here to get shiny leaves. Which you already know but let me say you-

  • Take a spray bottle and plain water. Spray those water on leaves from time to time. So that, dust doesn’t get any chance to make a layer on leaves.
  • You can add a little quantity of detergent or soap to clean the dust in a better range. It will give an extra value.
  • Or else you can have a damp soft cloth to wipe down the water spots regularly from the leaves. Other than this misting plant is a great idea. Keep an eye scrolling down to this article about misting.  Because excess water is not good for the plants also.

If you periodically continue these steps, you will have shiny leaves and also a healthy plant in your houseplant leaves. 

FAQ

Question 1. Can I use distilled water to clean foliage?

Answer: Yes. It’s pretty okay to have distilled water in the cycle of cleaning. 

Question2. Can I have some baby shampoo with a water mixture instead of soap?

Answer: To clean the dust, you can choose baby shampoo as the cleaning tips.

Question3: How many days I can preserve the milk mixture?

Answer: It’s better to use the milk mixture on the day of making it. 

Final Verdicts

You will not need a gallon of water to clean the house plants but the short solution I have talked about. To get shiny foliage, keep the plants in a specific area where the dust is less. After spraying, keep them in the direct light. Homemade shiner are best for me. Choose your one and figure out how to make indoor plant leaves shiny.

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