TnT #3. Polishing Your Orchid Leaves (Tip from Ruth Chun)

Have you noticed how orchid leaves can become unsightly due to water marks, dust, and grime!  Well, there’s a trick you can do without chemicals or soap and water that will give your orchid leaves a beautiful appearance.  It’s in most of our refrigerators.  On a piece of cloth or soft paper, place a very small dab of mayonnaise.  Rub it gently over the top of the leaf and rub gently until you get the surface cleaned.  Make sure you polish until you remove any access mayonnaise or it will cause burns on the leaf when sunlight hits it.  I keep my plant in the shade for a day after cleaning it.

Do not rub any mayonnaise under a leaf for it will smother the plant by covering the stomata found on the under-side of leaves.  They are tiny openings that take up nourishment for the plant to survive.  If by accident, some mayonnaise does get on the stomata, clean it off with soap and water, and rinse well.

If you’re a health guru and don’t use mayonnaise, you can get some individual packets of mayonnaise when you pick up a salad or sandwich at a deli.  For those who enjoy fast food, ask for packets of mayonnaise as part of your order.  (The composition of mayonnaise is lemon juice or vinegar, egg yolk, oil, and salt for taste.)