You might have some pest snails in the as well, so get them out or squish them. any other pest snails in the tank can be removed or squashed, however if you haven’t got loads then they can get rid of some of your algae. It’s all a matter of preference.
Be careful not to scratch yourself if you are using the blade.
If you don’t want to disturb your plants, then hold it above the substrate. Alternatively, you can waft the plant and all the grime will come out, siphon the water around it.
If you have pebbles as your substrate then you could scrub them with an all natural bamboo toothbrush. However if you have gravel then just scrub it with a sponge.
It is also a good idea to monitor your fish for a couple of days after clean your tank, just to check that they are okay.
