I am pretty sure you are describing a mite problem, not necessarily a
'spider' mite problem

If you search the internet for "Phalaenopsis mite" you will find lots of
links to cures and treatments. I am sure people here have their favorites
they can share. I use a chemical called "Ovation" but this is not easy for
a home orchid grower to get. Ovation tends to stop the dead and kills their
eggs. There are several types of mites and most are so tiny all you will
see is the effects of their feeding. The leaf washing regimen you are
describing is a good help. Maybe do it more often and switch back and forth
between alcohol rubs and warm dilute soapy water. Just by rubbing a soft
cloth over the leaves you are wiping out portions of the feeding population.

"Leon" wrote in message
ups.com...
For many months now my plants have developed tiny, mostly clear
droplets, some of which seem to burst and form transparent, thin and
sticky irregular patches on the leaf.
The droplets form on the surface, underside and along the edges of a
leaf. The plants have not grown during this period and have not formed
flowers over a year. One plant has recently begun to grow a new leaf
and a new root, but the growth seems unenthusiastic. It was suggested
to me to wash the leaves with a very dilute solution of rubbing
alcohol, but does such a treatment get at the root of the problem. In
other words, how do I get my plants to grow healthily again?