How to keep silk flowers looking fresh

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Tips on how to keep silk flowers looking fresh to maintain their beauty

Flowers add energy and life to a space. Whether you arrange them in a vase, lay the buds in bowl or weave them through a seasonal wreath, they look best when well cared for. Silk flowers are more affordable than the real thing and they certainly last much longer, so they deserve regular attention.

Learning how to keep silk flowers looking fresh involves some old fashioned cleaning tips using common household items. With proper care, your favorite arrangements will appear as if they were clipped this morning and continue looking that way for many years to come.

The advantages of decorating with silk floral arrangements include affordability and the wide range of varieties available no matter where you live. If you love exotic blossoms and happen to live in Alaska, you can enjoy the sight of orchids and have your snow, too. But don?t neglect them!

Like other home accents, silk arrangements acquire dust and can fade. Spending a few minutes cleaning them every week will prevent them from developing a worn, dirty appearance. The more care you give them, the more real they?ll look!

Feather dust

Start with regular feather dusting to prevent particles from building up. Hold the bunch at an angle and dust with the other hand so it all falls to the floor.

Regular spraying

As long as your blossoms aren?t delicate, a simple solution of equal parts vinegar and water sprayed occasionally helps petals look clean. Add in a drop of lemon juice so your arrangements have a pleasant citrus scent, rather than a vinegar-y one. Do this about once a week or whenever they need a little boost (dust weighs petals down).

Shake them up

An important part of how to keep silk flowers looking fresh involves knowing when they need more than just a spritz. Put your silk flowers in a large paper grocery bag with a few spoonfuls of salt or rice. Shake the bag for a few minutes so the granules rub against the surface of the flowers. Shake out each one as you take it from the bag to remove any salt or rice.

Water

What better way to make your floral arrangements look like you snipped them during a spring shower than to give them a bath? Fill a clean bowl with 1 tsp of gentle dishwashing soap and warm water. Add your buds to the bowl and swish them around for a few minutes to get the dust off of petals and other tight spots. Allow them to air dry on a clean towel.

A real shower

One of the simplest solutions is to hold them under a gentle, warm shower. Only do a few at a time and keep the pressure low. Any grime will be washed away and you won?t damage the form of the flowers. Hold off on re-arranging them until they?re completely air dried.

Compressed air

In a pinch, a gentle squeeze of compressed air will shoot dust off. Hold the end of each petal and keep the nozzle a few inches away. This also works well for removing build up between leaves and where the blossom connects to the stem.

Unlike plastic and velvet blooms, silk flowers have a soft, delicate texture similar to real petals. That?s one of the reasons they?re part of many home decorating ideas, and it’s why you should use gentle cleaning materials. Commercial cleaning products tend to be too harsh and cause the colors to fade or edges to fray.

As you can tell, there are no fancy tricks for how to keep silk flowers looking fresh. The only slight disadvantage to most of these methods is you?ll have to take apartment and re-create arrangements. On the plus side, changing the arrangement will give the room a new feel.