Crew Leaf Cleaning Glove - AQUA (from $4 each)

*$4.80 for one glove or get a pair for $8 & save (just $4 each)*

Also available in Candy (hot pink) 

These make me so happy. Other than how comfy they are and the cheerful colours they come in, they make my hands look like a fluffy muppet (in a good way). And of course my plant's leaves end up clean and shiny, no chemicals needed! I do use a spritz of Plant Runner Neem Oil Leaf Shine on the dustier leaves (plus neem is a popular natural remedy to help repel pests too).

I prefer wearing just one glove and keeping my other hand free to support the leaf, but you can get them as a pair if you prefer. These come in 2 colours. This is for the Aqua, a pale pastel turquoise. There's also Candy (hot pink) 

• Machine-washable

• Attracts dust

• Stretchy! One-size-fits-most

Not just for looks

If you imagine their leaves like a plant's solar panels, it's obvious why dust is the bad guy. It gets in the way of photosynthesis. Dust can also block stomata (the tiny holes that our plants 'breathe' through that allows oxygen, carbon dioxide and water in and out). Spider Mites also love dry, dusty leaves. No thank you!

Plus it's fun! I think it's partly the 'comfy muppet' effect of these cuddly, fluffy gloves, but I much prefer cleaning my plant's leaves with these than a paper towel or cotton pad like I used to use. Plus you get better coverage so these save you time too. The fabric they are made out of is called coral microfibre or coral fleece, which is a natural dust attractant because it's static positive.

Choose your colour (or mix and match)

The colours are just so happiness-inducing too, available in hot pink (Candy), or a soothing pale turquoise (Aqua, the one you're looking at right now). I would definitely get two, so while one's in the wash (yes, they are machine-washable), you have one spare for when the leaf-cleaning mood takes hold. 

Tips for best results (including a handy home remedy for leaf-shine)

If it's just a light covering of dust and you regularly clean your plant's leaves already (no water spotting, no bugs in sight), then you'll find the gloves by themselves do a great job. 

But for best results, get yourself something non-comedogenic that's plant-friendly to cut through that dust layer. Just like products we clean our skin with, some leaf cleaning products are comedogenic, meaning they can block the stomata plants need to breathe (just like some products block our pores). 

My go-to is Plant Runner Neem Oil Leaf Shine. It's non-comedogenic so won't block stomata. You still get a lovely natural shine from it, but not that artificial waxy gloss layer that comedogenic leaf shine products deposit on leaves. Plus Plant Runner is organic and natural, blending Neem Oil (nature's bug repellent), with a vegetable-based wetting agent. If you already have nasties in residence though, you'll want a stronger approach, such as a contact insecticide or systemic insecticide (more pest control options here).

For a DIY home remedy for removing water-spotting that won't come off with water alone, I also use lemon juice. I use one teaspoon of lemon juice to two cups of water but just like any product (store-bought or home-made), always test first it on a leaf or two at least a couple of days before you use it on the entire plant as some plants are more sensitive than others.

Make sure to support the leaf with one hand underneath, wiping the top of the leaf with your dust glove, moving in the same direction the veins go (starting from the stem or midrib, wiping down towards the edges and end of the leaves), so you don't accidentally rip a leaf! Especially fenestrated leaves (watch those holes).