How Do You Freshen Up Silk Flowers?



8th Feb 2022

using a feather duster on fake plants

Cleaning Delicate Silk Flowers

Busy routines can take up so much of our time and energy that everyone is exhausted when we return home. After an exhausting day, plants have a soothing effect to refresh your body and mind. But there is one major problem with keeping plants and flowers in your house; the maintenance.

It is pretty challenging to maintain natural plants as they require a lot of attention and care. Because of our busy schedules, we might forget to take adequate care of these plants, resulting in them withering away.

The better alternative to natural plants and flowers is going artificial. The only challenging thing about artificial plants is keeping them free of dust. Here are some tips and techniques that can help you clean artificial flowers and make your plants look fantastic.

Reasons To Choose Silk Flowers

From the wide variety of artificial flowers available in the market, silk flowers are the most attractive and long-lasting. They can lighten up your house with positive energies and are safe for people allergic to natural plants. However, these flowers have their own set of problems. One of the significant problems of silk flowers is collecting dust and stains.

Some places in your house and office are more susceptible to dust, and they frequently attract grime and stains. Therefore, it is necessary that you learn how to freshen up the silk flowers. When you plan to decorate with fake plants, you will have to invest time into cleaning and dusting the flowers regularly to maintain their fresh appearance.

The Right Time To Clean Silk Flowers

One of the best qualities of silk flowers is that they are low maintenance. They do not damage easily, even if you neglect them for a while. You can easily set a fixed schedule for cleaning silk flowers whenever your schedule allows it.

Some people regularly clean their flowers every three months; however, some people only prefer cleaning them when they have stains or a musty smell.

Silk stains easily. If something spills on the silk flowers, they become grimy and more prone to collecting dust. In this situation, you need to clean the flowers immediately. If you do not clean the silk flowers immediately, they might get damaged permanently. Luckily, you can remove stains from silk flowers easily to avoid long-term discolouring.

Tips For Cleaning Silk Flowers

It is completely normal if your artificial plants start to look dirty and grimy. You always have the opportunity to make them look fresh and clean. While you plan to give a new and refreshed look to your silk flowers, consider the following valuable tips:

  • Never use harsh or strong chemicals to wash the silk flowers.
  • Never leave stains on the flowers for so long that they become permanent.
  • Do not use a rough or harsh fibre when you remove dust from the flowers.
  • Always use a micro fibre or a soft feather duster to clean the flowers.
  • If you use a hairdryer to remove dust from the flowers, make sure that it is set to cold air only. It can remove dust from inaccessible areas easily.
  • Try to plan a schedule for cleaning and freshening up the flowers to make them last a lifetime.
  • Clean flowers by attending to their various parts separately.

Cleaning Methods

There are various methods for removing dust when cleaning artificial flowers. You can select the method that suits you the best. The two main methods to clean artificial flowers are the dry and wet methods. Both of them have their pros and cons.

Dry Method

Dry methods are more convenient, quick, and effective for cleaning flowers that have gathered dust from their surroundings. These methods can freshen up the silk flowers and prepare them for storage.

The only disadvantage of using dry methods is that you cannot remove watermarks or other stains from the flowers. You may have to combine them with other methods in order to get rid of tough stains.

Wet Method

The wet methods are an easy way to remove every kind of stain. They can remove grimy stains from the fibre of the flowers, giving a whole new look to your artificial flowers. The disadvantage of these methods is that they are time-consuming. Once the flowers are wet, they need a dust-free area and some time to dry completely.

Cleaning Silk Flowers

Here are some effective methods to clean silk flowers.

Cleaning the flowers with a feather duster

You can remove dust from dirty silk flowers with the help of a soft feather duster. We suggest you use a feather duster on your silk flowers at least once a week. Start from the top section and then slowly move towards the bottom of the artificial plant to remove all the dust from the surface.

A clean paintbrush is also a good alternative if you do not have a feather duster at home. The paintbrush helps remove dust from the difficult-to-reach areas.

Cleaning the flowers with a vacuum cleaner

The idea might seem quite strange to you, but you can use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and minor stains from an artificial plant. A mini vacuum cleaner head attached with a small brush can loosen the dirt. Once you attach the right brush, the vacuum cleaner can remove the dust very easily. However, you have to take all the necessary precautions to avoid doing any damage to your artificial flowers.

Cleaning the flowers with a damp cloth

Take a soft cloth and dip it into cold water. Use the damp cloth to remove dust, dirt, and stains from the silk flowers. Gently rub the petals with this cloth and it will give your silk flowers a newer and fresher look. Refrain from using hot water because it will cause the colours to run out of the silk.

Removing Stains From Silk Flowers

Giving an overall cleaner look to artificial flowers and plants is a relatively easy task to perform. Sometimes, you might face problems in making the plants look completely clean because of contamination. Below are methods to remove stains from artificial silk flowers.

Removing yellow stains from the flowers

With time, silk flowers age, and that might cause them to develop yellow stains. At this point, most people throw these flowers away and get new ones. However, we have some essential home remedies for you to remove these stains from the flowers and keep them looking fresh and new.

First of all, use any of the above methods to remove all the dust and dirt from the flowers. Now, take a zipper bag and add two cups of salt or dry white rice into it. Place the silk flowers in this bag facing downward. Lock the zip and hold the flowers by their stems. With a tight grip on the branches, shake the zip lock bag for a few seconds.

Now spray a solution of vinegar and water (both in equal quantities) onto the silk flowers. This solution acts as a dirt remover when cleaning artificial plants. Let the flowers rest for 15 minutes.

Fill a bowl or your laundry sink with lukewarm water. Add a few drops of unscented dishwashing liquid into it. Swish the artificial flowers into this water until you see the stains going away.

Rinse the flowers with cold water and leave them on a paper towel to dry completely. Please do not keep the flowers outside or in the open for drying because they might gather dust and dirt again.

Removing other stains from the flowers

The other methods of cleaning the silk flowers depend on the quality of your flowers. If you are sure that the colour won't run from the silk flowers, you can use white vinegar in lukewarm water instead of dishwashing liquid.

If the quality of flowers is good, you can use a toothbrush to gently scrub the petals and remove stains from the surface. If you are not sure about the flowers' quality and think that warm water might damage them, we have a solution for you. It would be best to buy a silk flower cleaner for proper maintenance and cleaning of fake plants. Before buying one, make sure to read reviews about the product.

Repairing Silk Flowers

If the cleaning procedure has caused damage to the flower, you can repair them. And if the warm water causes damage to petals, you should immediately wash them with cold water.

In case the petals get wrinkles during the drying procedure, boil a pot of water and hold the flowers in it. This will remove all the wrinkles or smooth them out.

Prescribed Methods To Freshen Up Artificial Flowers

There are various methods for cleaning and freshening up artificial flowers. Silk flowers last for a long time if you take the time to clean them using any of the methods we have listed above. Make sure that you repeat the required cleaning procedures at least once a week. This way, you can be sure that your silk roses will last quite a while.

However, should you be skeptical or worried about damaging your flowers while cleaning them, you can always reach out to an artificial plant shop. A professional will assist you with tips and guidance on cleaning and maintaining your artificial flowers. So, don't be shy, grab that artificial flower and welcome the happy and positive energy it will bring.

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