Leaf cleaning - Help

[c15luf]

Hi

My leafs on the hibicus are starting to get white scale on, i think this is from the water as i live in a hard water area. I do filter the water before i fill the misting system and dripper but still getting the scale on.

Last time i scrubbed with rough cloth and this killed half the leaves off. Gently wiping them with a soft cloth does not seem to remove the white scale.

There are some cleaning products out there but can't find one safe for animals.

Does anyone have any good tips for cleaning leafs?

Thanks,
Craig

 

[Lathis]

You might try a VERY dilute solution of apple cider vinegar in warm water - 1 part vinegar to 30 or 50 parts warm water - and use a soft cloth or cotton balls to gently wipe the leaves, no need to scrub. The vinegar is acidic and should dissolve the mineral encrustations on your leaves. If you have a heavy buildup, you may have to do it more than once. Afterward, rinse your plant down really well to remove the vinegar residue, although it should be safe, no sense in taking chances with your Cham.

I have lived in hard water areas before and used vinegar to clean shower doors and Stainless steel fixtures.

Definitely avoid any cleaners with the words hydroxide, chloride, and bleach in the list of ingredients. They won't help anyway for this type of buildup. You'll have to do this regularly to avoid hard water buildup in the future.

 

[c15luf]

You might try a VERY dilute solution of apple cider vinegar in warm water - 1 part vinegar to 30 or 50 parts warm water - and use a soft cloth or cotton balls to gently wipe the leaves, no need to scrub. The vinegar is acidic and should dissolve the mineral encrustations on your leaves. If you have a heavy buildup, you may have to do it more than once. Afterward, rinse your plant down really well to remove the vinegar residue, although it should be safe, no sense in taking chances with your Cham.

I have lived in hard water areas before and used vinegar to clean shower doors and Stainless steel fixtures.

Definitely avoid any cleaners with the words hydroxide, chloride, and bleach in the list of ingredients. They won't help anyway for this type of buildup. You'll have to do this regularly to avoid hard water buildup in the future.

Thank you very much. I will try this over the weekend.

 

[infantry492]

you could try distilling the water and bottling it in cleaned out milk jugs. it might get rid of the minerals in the water that are causing the build up of that white gunk.

 

[Lathis]

That would work if you can truly distill the water. A reverse osmossis system will also go a long way to removing impurities from the water. I like a moderate amount of calcitic/dolomitic content in drinking water because it buffers the pH a bit. I have noticed that a lot of people think boiled water is "distilled" which is not technically correct. Boiling water can help to volatilize chorines/chloramines and fluorides that are added as part of the treatment process and also reduce biological impurities (bacteria, algae, and other critters) which exist even in potable water - all good things for your cham. However, boiling will not remove mineral content (hence the crusty buildup in your water heater and humidifiers) - not really an issue for your Cham; it's more aesthetics if you don't like the scale buildup.

Anyway, I'm rambling. If you are really interested in knowing what chemicals and minerals are present in your tap water and at what levels, do some high-level research on the water treatment process on the internet and reach out to your local water treatment plant or public utilities department. Most PWDs have water analysis reports that they can provide; smaller jurisdictions are usually happy to talk to you and answers questions.

 

[Lathis]

Let me correct my own error above. Boiling will not remove fluorides; you will have to distill to remove fluoride salts from tap water.

That's what I get for not proofreading my own writing!