Equipment needed

Polythene sheets. Enough to cover the entire area that is being worked, including floors, walls, windows and any furniture that may be in the area.

Wet / dry vacuum cleaner, cloths and mops to clean up the area afterwards.

Access equipment, e.g. a cherry picker or scaffold tower.

Sprayer with a coarse-grade nozzle or watering machine with a long lance and spray nozzle.

Plant cleaning solution.  This must be suitable for the job.  Some acidic cleaners may damage floors, walls and fixtures, so these must be thoroughly protected.

Warning cones, barrier tapes and sign boards.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), e.g. coveralls, visor, face mask, gloves, hard hat (for working at heights), waterproof clothing, boots / shoes with non-slip soles, restraining harness if working from height where no other method of safe access is possible.

Principles

Risk assessments should be completed and checked before work commences.

Trees such as Ficus should be shaken to remove any loose leaves.

Trees should be cleaned using a sprayer or watering machine with a high pressure nozzle. When using a sprayer, use a coarse spray quality. Avoid generating a fine mist, aim for large droplets that will penetrate the canopy of the plant. Ensure that the whole foliage is cleaned, including the underside of leaves and the centre of the tree’s canopy.

When the job is finished, the site must be cleaned and cleared.  Proper waste disposal arrangements must be in place to deal with surplus cleaning solutions and contaminated protective materials.

Cleaning products. Some plant cleaning products are more aggressive than others. If the tree only needs light cleaning, a soapy detergent-based product (e.g. Rentokil Plant Cleaner) will be suitable. More heavily soiled plants may need something stronger, such as a citric-acid based product.  However, additional protective equipment and materials may be required.