If you are like me and don't have much of a green thumb, you've probably turned to artificial plants and flowers to decorate your home. These days, silk flowers and artificial trees look extremely realistic. But, even though you don't have to worry about watering these nature imitations, you do have to clean them. Here are some pointers for doing so:

* Wash polyester flowers in a solution of mild soap and lukewarm water.

* Blow any dust off them with a blow dryer set on low cool at low speed.

* Use a vacuum cleaner hose attached to the out-air hole to dust large fake trees.

* When you put seasonal arrangements away, place them in a large plastic bag and store in a cool, dry, dark place.

* Be careful with hand-wrapped flowers. It you put them in water, it can ruin the tape's elasticity.