Spring Cleaning Guide If You Love, Love, LOVE Houseplants

You like having a clean house, and you LOVE having a green house. But a trail of dead leaves on the floor isn't a good look no matter what. This plan will help keep your home clean and green, while helping your plants stay healthy, too.

Give Plants a Spring Check-Up
Use a magnifying glass to check for bugs. Look for the marks they leave, like scarring, a cotton-like fluff, or webbing. (Hint: The undersides of leaves are a favorite hiding spot.) A few applications of a standard houseplant insecticide should take care of the critters. Trim yellow and dead leaves. Aesthetically, plants look nicer without dead or dying leaves, says Liza Wheeler, an interior landscaping artist. And creating a clean, green slate will make it easier to spot new problems as they arise, she says. Massage the dirt to break it up. The soil can get kind of cruddy from watering, so breaking it up makes it look cleaner, Wheeler says. It also helps aerate the soil slightly.

Give them an outdoor shower. A little fresh air and a drizzly spring day -- or a gentle spray from the hose -- will help plants shake off the dust and cobwebs of winter. Don't forget to wipe off the saucers and exteriors of pots.

Clean the Areas in Your Home That Your Plants Cover Up
Moisture and dirt can find their way out of pots and onto your floor, countertop, or shelf. While your plants are drying outside after their shower, clean the spots where they sit, checking for any damage, which could be caused by a cracked pot. Also clean any walls and baseboards that your greenery hides.

Clean the Windows
Crystal-clear windows allow more sunlight to reach plant leaves, fostering photosynthesis and respiration, freshening your indoor air. Besides clean windows make the entire home feel fresh and bright.

Organize Your Plant Supplies and Tools
Make lovin' on your plants easier with some simple organizing solutions:

• Do some organizing and purging to clear space in a cabinet or on a shelf to keep all your supplies together and easily accessible.

• Stow frequently used items like a spray bottle and fertilizer in an easy-to-carry cleaning caddy.