The Kitchen Ingredient That Will Make Old Fake Flowers Look Brand New

Faux silk flowers are a common alternative to natural blooms and are being increasingly preferred by homeowners — especially ones who don't have the time to tend to their garden — due to a myriad of benefits. They're low maintenance, and hypoallergenic as they're pollen-free, pet-friendly, and always in bloom. Moreover, these flowers look real and fresh if arranged carefully and put in a vase with water. However, you must keep them clean – so, if you're looking for a quick, effective, and inexpensive way to keep your faux flowers looking brand new, just grab the jar of salt from your kitchen.

While you can dust your silk flowers, this method is time and effort-intensive as you'll have to wipe each petal and flower individually. Alternatively, cleaning them using a dedicated cleaning spray can be quite expensive. On the other hand, salt quickly and gently removes dust, and if you've got kosher or rock salt, it's even better than regular salt since it's coarser and will be more effective.

Begin by placing one fake silk flower in a paper or plastic bag, or a resealable container. Follow this by adding 2 tablespoons of salt. Now, seal the bag or close the lid and gently shake it for a minute to loosen the accumulated dirt and dust from the flowers. This kitchen ingredient hack works so well because salt is a mild abrasive that'll help you restore your faux blooms' natural look.

After you're done, take the flower out and give it a shake to remove any residual salt. If that doesn't get rid of all the salt particles, take the flower outside and use a feather duster to remove the salt. You can also use your hair dryer's cool setting to remove lingering salt grains. Repeat this process to clean each one of your old faux flowers. If you are all out of salt to clean your old blooms, you can use the same technique with cornmeal instead.