How to dust silk foliage

Dust is the only thing that will make a good artificial plant look bad. It settles on the upper surface of every leaf, kills the sheen that silk relies on, and turns a convincing green into a chalky grey-green. Removing it is easy and almost nobody does it often enough.

What to use

• A dry microfibre cloth, for anything with leaves large enough to hold between two fingers.
• A soft make-up brush or clean paintbrush, for ferns and anything finely divided.
• A hairdryer on cool, low, held about 30 cm away, for dense canopies.

Work from the top of the plant down, so anything you dislodge falls onto foliage you have not cleaned yet. Support each leaf from underneath with your other hand — the wire armature is strong, but the join where a leaf meets its stem is the one part that will fatigue if you pull at it repeatedly.

Every few months is plenty. Every week and you are handling it more than the dust is.

What not to use

No water, no glass cleaner, no silicone leaf-shine sprays. Water will not damage the silk, but it lifts dust into a paste that dries in the veining and is much harder to remove than the original dust. Leaf-shine leaves a tacky film that attracts more dust than it removes, which is the exact opposite of the intention.

If a piece has been in storage and looks compressed, spend a minute bending each branch back out along its armature before you dust. It will not spring back on its own, and it is meant to be reshaped.