This $9 Hack Makes Cleaning Your Plants So Easy and Satisfying

Indoor plants are popular for so many reasons. They are not only beautiful to look at, but can also help clean the air by absorbing toxins, increasing humidity and producing oxygen. A study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology even found that plants in your home or office can have a soothing effect on your mental well-being.

So to keep them looking and feeling their best, you should clean them from time to time. Even if you keep a tidy house, dust and small particles of dirt will inevitably settle on your plant friends.

While cleaning your indoor plant leaves is a simple process, it's not always a quick one. It's my least favorite, most time-consuming housekeeping activity, which is why, unfortunately, I rarely do it. It can be tedious to use a towel to get both sides of the leaves clean without damaging them. It's also hard to know how much pressure you're applying. Nothing is more heartbreaking than puncturing or accidentally ripping that beautiful new monstera leaf that took a month to unfurl.

So when I came across this cheap and effective plant-cleaning hack on The Jungle Upstairs' Instagram, I was thrilled. Instead of using a cloth towel or flimsy paper towel, content creator Ciara Benko uses soft, white cotton gloves from Amazon. The gloves, which are typically used for delicate tasks like art handling and crafts, really allow you to get into all the nooks and crannies of the plant to make sure you collect all the dust and pests. You have more mobility with your fingers than with a towel. In the video, it's oh so satisfying to watch her hands wipe away the dirt. The gloves are reusable and cost only $9 on Amazon for a pack of 10.

I'm so happy that I came across this genius hack, and I'm sure my plants are too. So next time your plants are due for a cleaning, consider giving them the white glove treatment.