--- title: "Exhaustion. I am very very tired, and in said exhaustion I…" description: "Exhaustion. I am very very tired, and in said exhaustion I accidentally grabbed the glass cleaner which was sat directly next to the spray bottle for plant…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/rBNngPTshX8wAGSbhjES56" community: "Pests, diseases and problems" author: "Salem Owen" published: "2026-01-08T21:54:41.510639Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/Iy9MTRzPuOQmqN23s_BjaDVJsyOC3vt6pP0sfcXc__A/8kIPGgMLTDaOFzTXiFt8Wg.webp?size=large" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Pests, diseases and problems](https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ.md) # Exhaustion. I am very very tired, and in said exhaustion I… _Posted by Salem Owen on 2026-01-08_ Exhaustion. I am very very tired, and in said exhaustion I accidentally grabbed the glass cleaner which was sat directly next to the spray bottle for plant misting. I gave the fern two good sprays of glass cleaner before horror set in. I quickly took the entire plant to the sink and hosed the plant off and did my best to blast away the top layer of soil. This is most definitely my roommate’s fern we’ve been trying to bring back from the brink of death. Has the pooch been screwed? I need advice STAT. I feel so incredibly stupid and he is spitting feathers currently. 😫 ![Attachment 1 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/Iy9MTRzPuOQmqN23s_BjaDVJsyOC3vt6pP0sfcXc__A/8kIPGgMLTDaOFzTXiFt8Wg.webp?size=large) ![Attachment 2 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/Iy9MTRzPuOQmqN23s_BjaDVJsyOC3vt6pP0sfcXc__A/N99eMO9mTxCCjboUSKi7SA.webp?size=large) ## 16 comments ### brittrb commented on 2026-01-08 We all mess up sometimes! You took quick action to fix it though! ### Debbie commented on 2026-01-09 On the bright side, you probably killed a gnat or 2 😂 #### Salem Owen replied on 2026-01-09 Debbie!!! Ok so I just recently got rid of the itsy bitsy teenie weenie fuzzy flying gnats. Low \& Fricken behold I now have these incredibly tiny little crawly bugs. You have to look and wait a moment to focus on the dirt and then you can see them. I’ve no idea what to do because they’re now also in my Nerve Plant soil. Suggestions? (Also none of the are wearing Yellow Polka Dot Bikinis) ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/Iy9MTRzPuOQmqN23s_BjaDVJsyOC3vt6pP0sfcXc__A/Sf6kW9iMT8m-7_EEVGj6Bw.webp?size=large) #### Madison replied on 2026-01-09 possibly fungus gnats? I water with mosquito bits (just follow instructions carefully) and sticky traps to help get rid of mine. #### Debbie replied on 2026-01-09 If it isn’t bringing you joy, time to move on. Just this week I had little bugs in soil, after much research it was determined to be “good bugs”. I still wasn’t comfortable, so repotted and used jacks pest spray. I’m THINKING about getting beneficial bugs. I just hate any bugs. If you want, systemic granules on soil. I use this on a regular basis. ### Jneyman commented on 2026-01-09 ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/MfjKoB4A4b2hmOmzLr-VecRoGYQYbzBHHUs1G7W9aVw/cXmRRgajQCanbaXdGOj5DQ.webp?size=large) #### Salem Owen replied on 2026-01-09 😂😂 #### Debbie replied on 2026-01-09 😂😂 ### Rhus commented on 2026-01-09 Depending on what kind of glass cleaner it is, it's possible it's a mix of ammonia, fragrance, water, and maybe a surfactant... It could be worse. Rinsing it right away was a good call, but it's most likely fine. For me, bringing a fern back from the brink of death involved a tiny greenhouse, an appropriate grow light, a small terracotta pot, and a bunch of perlite mixed into the soil. I wanted to keep it nice and moist without risking root rot, so I misted it daily but didn't drench it too much. It did work, and now it's kind of a monster 😅 good luck with the fern! #### Salem Owen replied on 2026-01-09 To be quite honest this darn Fern has been nothing but a massive pain in my ass. At this point I’ve logged so many hours of care that I’ll be damned if I give up now. I’m most upset because I’ve got five, count them, five new shoots sprouting up out of the substrate. It doesn’t matter how much I water or mist the leaves get crispy crunch and die. #### Salem Owen replied on 2026-01-09 ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/Iy9MTRzPuOQmqN23s_BjaDVJsyOC3vt6pP0sfcXc__A/ZKKmGVYMSbqsNVmxP1q7lg.webp?size=large) ### Waspinator commented on 2026-01-09 Welp. At least he's clean. Tell him he is extra shiny and that he looks like a survivor #### Salem Owen replied on 2026-01-09 Clean? Oh most definitely! HOWEVER, It’s almost like this thing is doing it darndeat to pass on. Upon replacing the top layer of soil I found where the only stem left with leaves has turned yellow in a very small segment so it’s only a matter of time. Christ on a bike. #### Salem Owen replied on 2026-01-09 Where the very tip of my finger is, you see the yellowing?? I almost cried out of pure frustration. ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/Iy9MTRzPuOQmqN23s_BjaDVJsyOC3vt6pP0sfcXc__A/Kj4AghzeSxi5v4zKVAGggw.webp?size=large) ### Jneyman commented on 2026-01-09 Is the pot maybe too big? #### Salem Owen replied on 2026-01-09 More than likely. --- _Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_