How to Avoid Having an Artificial Plant Fade in the Sun

If you go to yard sales or estate sales, you often see artificial plants for sale. Quite often they’re faded from their former glory. Artificial plants which were once bright green can lose their luster over time, leading people to try and sell them, give them away, or throw them out.

For those of you who have artificial plants in the home or office, and want to keep them in good condition, there are some practical tips to do so. First, dust your plants every month or so to remove dust and dirt build-up from the leaves. You can use a feather duster, hair dryer (on cool), or a wet cloth. If you use a wet cloth, add some dish soap and wipe down both sides of the leaves, as well as flowers and stems. Essentially, you’re giving the plant a bath!

After you’ve dusted and/or used water and soap on the artificial plant, you can take a clean, slightly moist cloth and wipe it all down again to give it a rinse. Then let it air dry.

Did you know you can buy “UV resistant spray” and apply it to your artificial plants? Since your plants are bound to get outside light on them through a skylight or window, even though they’re not “real,” the plants’ color(s) can fade due to exposure to the sun’s UV rays.

Look for a clear UV resistant spray at your local store. Then, in a well-ventilated area, such as your yard, spray the plants like you would spray your hair. Keep the bottle about a foot away from the plant(s), spray, and then let the plants air dry for a couple hours. Just a note: some plants have artificial flowers already protected by “UV inhibitors,” so do check the labels.

Have you ever been to someone’s house or office that looks exactly the same as it did 20 years ago? With artificial plants, it’s a smart idea to move them to different places within a room. By varying the location and the angles/sides which sunlight hits the leaves, you can lessen the color fading over time, and, in some cases, fade it out uniformly so it’s hardly noticeable.

Foliage Design Systems Central Florida can take care of both live and artificial plants in the Orlando area. Should your office or business want excellent plant care, call 407-245-7776.