How to Clean Silk Flowers

Silk flowers can look beautiful and add a bit of seasonal color to your home even if you lack the "green thumb" necessary to keep fresh flowers alive. Silk flowers do need a bit of cleaning from time to time, so they do not become overly dusty or festooned with cobwebs. Learn about a few methods that can help you clean your silk flowers, and keep them as beautiful as when you purchased them.

1. First: Should you dismantle the flowers?

   The best way to clean your silk flowers is to dismantle the arrangement and clean each flower individually. However, if you have an elaborate, complicate silk flower arrangement, or if you do not feel that you can put the flowers back together yourself, you do not have to dismantle it.

2. Second: Liquid cleaning methods

   Test a flower to see whether it can withstand moisture (since some varieties cannot); if it can, you can spritz the arrangement with silk flower cleaning spray, or mix your own spray from a solution of 50% water and 50% white vinegar. Put a piece of newspaper or a paper towel underneath the arrangement to catch any drips that may fall. If only part of a silk flower requires cleaning, put the liquid on a cotton swab, and use the swab to clean the flower.

3. Third: Cleaning without liquid

   If you feel that you cannot allow your delicate silk flower arrangement to get wet at all, you can dust the arrangement with a duster, or blow the dust and cobwebs off with your hairdryer or a can of compressed air. These techniques do not effectively remove built-up grime, however, and you risk blowing a particularly delicate silk flower apart completely.

4. Fourth: Dismantling your arrangement for a thorough dry clean

   For a more thorough dry clean, put about a half-cup of salt or cornmeal into a large plastic bag. Take your dirty silk flower and put it in the bag, and shake the flower in the bag gently for about a minute. The grains of salt or cornmeal help to scrub the filth off of your flower.

5. Fifth: Dismantling the arrangement to wash your silk flowers

   If your silk flowers seem durable despite their dirty condition, you might consider giving them a more thorough wash in water. (Again, test the flowers to make sure they can tolerate exposure to liquid before engaging in this method). Your cleaning setup should include two bowls of cool water, the first with a small amount of dish detergent, and the second left plain; and a clean, dry towel. Swish the flower in the soapy water, removing any built-up crud; rinse the in the clean water, making sure to remove any soapy residue. Finally, gently lay the silk flower on the towel and blot it dry.