Daily gardening tip · Northern hemisphere · Wednesday 21 October 2026 · mid autumn
Dust Houseplant Leaves for Autumn Sunlight
As autumn days shorten, your indoor plants need every bit of light they can get to stay healthy through winter.
5 minuteseasyindoor plants
Dampen a soft cloth or microfibre towel with lukewarm water.
Support the underside of a leaf gently with one hand.
Wipe the top surface of the leaf smoothly from stem to tip to remove dust.
Rinse the cloth when it gets dirty and repeat for all broad-leaved plants.
Why it works
Dust layer blocks natural light from reaching the chlorophyll inside houseplant leaves. Cleaning the leaves restores their ability to absorb sunlight, which becomes scarce during the darker autumn and winter months.
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