Can You Use Clorox to Preserve Flowers?
- Cut the flowers early in the morning before the dew dries if you are removing them from the garden. Slice the flowers with a sharp knife or garden shears above a bud. Place the flower stems in warm water until you are ready to trim them. Trim the stems to the height of the vase. Always cut the flower stems at a 45-degree angle under warm water to ensure that the flowers absorb the Clorox solution properly. Return the flowers to a vase with warm room temperature water and place them in a cool and dark location.
- Remove the flowers from the vase when you are ready to prepare the solution. Always wash the vase with warm and soapy water to remove any foreign materials. Rinse the vase thoroughly with water. Fill the vase with warm room temperature water. Pour the warm water into a measuring cup so you can determine exactly how much water remains inside the vase. Add 1/4 tsp. bleach for every quart of warm water in the vase. Stir the water gently so that the bleach and water combine.
- You can also use a bleach and sugar solution to keep your flowers fresh. Just remove the flowers from the vase and clean it with warm and soapy water. Rinse the vase and fill it with 1 quart of room temperature water. Fill an eyedropper with Clorox bleach. Place three drops of the bleach into the water in the vase. Add 1 tsp. white sugar to the water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Place the cut flowers into the solution. Adding sugar to the water helps to give the flowers energy and the bleach keeps the water clear.
- To use a bleach and lemon lime soda solution with your cut flowers, place the cut flowers to the side. Wash and rinse the vase before you add the solution. Combine 1/2 tsp. Clorox bleach with 1 cup room temperature water. Pour 1 cup lemon-lime soda into the vase. Stir to mix the ingredients. Double or triple the proportions if you need more water in the vase. The lemon lime soda and bleach works as effectively as sugar and bleach to give the flowers energy and retard bacterial growth.
- Change the solution in the vase every other day because the bleach will eventually break down. Cut the stems every time you change the water to ensure that the flowers absorb the solution. Always remove lower leaves that rest in the water because they can cause bacteria to grow in the water. Only use room temperature water for the flowers. If the water is too hot or too cold, it can shock the flowers and cause them to die. Wear gloves when handling bleach to prevent skin irritation. Only use chlorine bleach and avoid color-safe bleaches because they contain other ingredients and additives.