Question
Hi Jim, I was wondering if you could advise how I should go about cleaning the leaves of my Phalaenopsis.  Being indoors it gathered some dust on the leaves and if I wipe it softly with a wet cloth it goes dull again after drying. Is there something you can recommend to make it look bright and fresh again?  Thank you. Lizl

Answer
Hi Liz

Here are a couple of things you can try when cleaning the leaves:

1. Dip a soft cloth in skim milk then wipe the leafs.  

2. Squeeze a orange or lemon, strain out the pulp, dip the cloth and wipe the leafs.

3. There is a product called Leaf Shine that is made just for this purpose.  If you try it, make sure to only apply it to the top leaf surface as it can clog up the breathing pores on the underside.  

When wiping the leafs, use a different part of the cloth about every 2 or 3 leafs, you don't want the gunk on the cloth to be put back on the leafs.  

Hope this helped.

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.