Artificial Plant Care & Maintenance

On arrival: unpacking and shaping

Plants and trees are packed with their branches folded in and their leaves flattened for transit. Before placing them:

• Unpack carefully and keep the boxes if you may move or store the plants later.
• Open out branches from the trunk outwards, then bend individual stems and leaves into a natural position. Look at a photograph of the plant as a guide.
• For trees, work from the bottom up and turn the tree as you go so it looks full from every side it will be seen from.
• Set the weighted pot inside its planter and check it stands upright and stable.
• Check the delivery against your order straight away. Shortages or damage must be reported in writing within 24 hours of delivery (see ordering and delivery).

Dusting

Dust is the main thing that makes artificial plants look old. How often to dust depends on the setting:

Setting	Dusting	Deeper clean
Hotel lobbies, receptions, restaurants, shop displays	Weekly	Every 1 to 3 months
Offices, care homes, communal areas	Every 2 to 4 weeks	Every 3 to 6 months
Near kitchens or cooking	Weekly	Monthly, to remove grease
Homes and low-traffic areas	Monthly	Every 6 months
Outdoors	Rinse as needed	Each season

Use a soft brush, a feather or microfibre duster, or a vacuum on low suction with a soft brush head. Work from the top of the plant down so dust does not fall onto cleaned leaves. A hairdryer on a cool setting lifts dust from blossom, fine foliage and flower heads without handling them.

Washing

When dusting is no longer enough, wash the leaves:

• Wipe larger leaves individually with a cloth dampened in lukewarm water with a little washing-up liquid, supporting each leaf from behind.
• Small plants and stems can be swished in a bowl of lukewarm soapy water, then rinsed.
• Stand everything upright to dry fully before returning it to position or packing it away. Do not leave water sitting in the pot.
• Do not use bleach, solvents, polish or leaf-shine products. They can mark, discolour or fade the leaves.
• For fire-retardant lines, stick to dusting and a lightly damp cloth, and ask us before using detergents or disinfectants on them.
• If a site requires a particular disinfectant, test it on one hidden leaf first.

Outdoor plants

Only lines flagged UV-stabilised should be used outdoors. The tables in our UV-stabilised range show which lines carry the flag.

UV-stabilised lines contain UV inhibitors that slow colour fade in bright and outdoor positions. All artificial foliage fades gradually in prolonged direct sun; UV-stabilised stock fades far more slowly than untreated stock. We don't publish a lifespan, so plan to inspect exposed pieces each season and rotate or replace them when the colour drops.

To look after them:

• Rinse with a hose on a gentle setting, or wipe down, to remove dust, pollen from nearby trees and bird droppings.
• Turn plants occasionally so the same side is not always facing the sun.
• Check weighting and ballast after high winds, and secure trees so they cannot be blown over.
• In the hardest winter weather, or where there is snow load, consider bringing smaller pieces under cover.
• Inspect each season and replace pieces where colour has dropped or leaves have become brittle.

Safety checks

• Keep all artificial planting, including fire-retardant lines, clear of heaters, radiators, candles, cooking equipment, hot lamps and naked flames.
• Check that floor-standing trees are stable, especially in busy areas, after moves and after cleaning.
• Keep plants out of walkways and escape routes unless your fire risk assessment allows them.
• Where fire performance matters, record which pieces are fire-retardant lines so replacements are like for like. See the fire-retardant finder.

Storage

Seasonal displays, event stock and staging stock spend part of their life in storage.

• Clean and dry everything before storing; dust left on leaves is harder to remove later.
• Store in the original boxes or long cardboard boxes, with branches folded gently in. Do not stack heavy boxes on foliage.
• Store flower stems flat or upright in labelled boxes by colour and SKU, not loose in bags.
• Keep stock somewhere dry, out of direct sun and away from heat.
• Reshape by hand after unpacking.

The packaging boxes guide lists long box sizes for trees and stems.

Repairs and replacement

A leaf or stem that has come loose can often be pushed back onto its stem or fixed with a small amount of hot glue, away from the visible face. Bent wire stems can be straightened by hand. Where a piece has faded, cracked or lost several leaves, replace it rather than repair it. Record the SKU of every piece in a scheme so replacements match; check live stock before reordering, because lines sell through and the range changes.

A handover note for site teams

If you supply or install planting for clients, give them a one-page note: what each piece is (with SKU), how often to dust, how to wash, what not to use, the safety checks above, and who to contact for replacements. It saves call-outs and keeps schemes looking as they did on the day they were installed. Sector pages such as hospitality and care homes cover setting-specific points.

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Frequently asked questions

How often should artificial plants be cleaned?

In busy public areas such as receptions, restaurants and shop displays, dust weekly and wash every one to three months. In offices and communal areas, dust every two to four weeks. Near kitchens, dust weekly and wash monthly to remove grease. Outdoor plants should be rinsed as needed and inspected each season.

What is the best way to clean artificial plants?

Dust from the top down with a soft brush, microfibre duster or a vacuum on low suction with a brush head. A hairdryer on a cool setting works well on flowers. To wash, wipe leaves with lukewarm water and a little washing-up liquid, then let everything dry fully. Avoid bleach, solvents, polish and leaf-shine products.

How long do artificial plants last outdoors?

We don't publish a lifespan. UV-stabilised lines contain UV inhibitors that slow colour fade in bright and outdoor positions, but all artificial foliage fades gradually in prolonged direct sun. How quickly depends on orientation, exposure and weather. Inspect outdoor pieces each season and replace them when colour drops or leaves become brittle.

Can fire-retardant artificial plants be washed?

Keep cleaning of fire-retardant lines to dusting and a lightly damp cloth, and ask us before using detergents, disinfectants or soaking them. Whatever the material, keep all planting clear of heaters, candles, cooking equipment and naked flames. Test reports for our fire-retardant material are available to trade customers on request.

How should artificial plants be stored between seasons?

Clean and dry them first, then store them in their original boxes or long cardboard boxes with branches folded gently in, and nothing heavy on top. Keep flower stems flat or upright in labelled boxes by colour and SKU. Store somewhere dry, out of sun and away from heat, and reshape by hand when you unpack.