Help washing filter socks

[Scotty Fraiser]

Can someone please explain the process they use to clean filter socks with bleach. I have been simply rinsing out with nozzle on hose but have been told that is not sufficient. Don't want to put in washing machine or I will have to find a new wife!!! Anyway what's the solution of water and bleAch? Do you rinse under tap water or rodi water? I do have several to keep rotated.

 

[dmolavi]

How I clean filter socks - Blogs - Reef Addicts

 

[Scotty Fraiser]

Thanks a bunch!!!!!

 

[dmolavi]

You're welcome.

That's not my article, but...I can't stress the Prime soak enough. Dechlorinate the heck out of those things. When I regen my Purigen in a 50/50 bleach/water solution, they say to use 2 tablespoons of Prime per cup of water that you soak in after the bleach soak. Since I doubt you're going to use a 50/50 bleach mix, you can probably dial back the amount of Prime used. I think the guy said 3 capfuls (approx 1 tablespoon) for however much water he had in there.

The important thing is no bleach/chlorine smell afterwards.

 

[Dav3]

Actually. I'd skip the bleach and just use hydrogen peroxide. All benefit and no side effects. Bleach just bleaches them white. Doesn't actually clean em.

I spray most of the junk off with the kitchen faucet sprayer, wring out water and then hang dry. Once mostly or completely dry, soak in hydrogen peroxide for at least 30 minutes. Spray wash and dry again. Good to go.

 

[dmolavi]

Oooh, I like that idea. I'll give it a shot on my 50 micron filter pads that I use to polish. A lot less stinky, too...

 

[Scotty Fraiser]

Straight peroxide or watered down? Seriously. How do you keep from buying so much peroxide?

 

[Dav3]

Standard off the shelf peroxide. I use straight out of the bottle with no additional water. Pretty cheap if you buy it from bulk stores like Costco. You don't need to fill a bucket. Just enough for the sock to lay flat in. I typically do 30 minutes and then flip it over for another 30 minutes.

I just considered you could put it in a bag(ziplock?) and just take out all the air. this should allow for maximum contact with least amount of peroxide. i might try this in the future.

 

[GoldfishJoey]

Standard off the shelf peroxide. I use straight out of the bottle with no additional water. Pretty cheap if you buy it from bulk stores like Costco. You don't need to fill a bucket. Just enough for the sock to lay flat in. I typically do 30 minutes and then flip it over for another 30 minutes.

I just considered you could put it in a bag(ziplock?) and just take out all the air. this should allow for maximum contact with least amount of peroxide. i might try this in the future.

Thanks for this!!! Going to try it on the two I have sitting outside right now!!!

 

[carey]

Just my two cents here, and maybe I don't do enough but here's exactly how I do it, and I just cleaned about a dozen last night.

I save them up in a bucket and when I get maybe 10 I throw them in the washer with at least a cup of bleach. No soap, nothing. I run the 2.5 hour steam wash cycle ( i have one of those cool new front loader washers that has steam hooked up to it). I add a prewash cycle and an extra rinse cycle too. After that, I run the same settings with no bleach.
They come out damp and they dont smell of bleach at all. Then I put them out in the back porch to dry for 2 days. Just to make sure the bleach if any if left evaporates.

I have been doing this for four years almost and have had zero issues. Of course i wouldnt use them if they ever smelt like bleach but I check every single one and its always good.

While I applaud your diligence it might be overkill. lol I worried so much when I first did it and only did one at a time I was so paranoid but it worked out.

just my thoughts

 

[AquaRick]

I just toss them inside out in the washing machine on high temp. No bleach or any additives. Always come out nice and clean.

 

[carey]

Oh cool, I;m not alone. lol I was worried people would think i was crazy for just washing them.

 

[AquaRick]

Oh cool, I;m not alone. lol I was worried people would think i was crazy for just washing them.

Maybe we're both crazy.... lol jk. But honestly, why would anyone not use a washer to clean their filter socks? Technology exists to make life easier...

 

[GoldfishJoey]

It only seems crazy because our significant others would have a crap attack!!! I know mine would... Besides that I don't see how anyone could win that argument... "But honey, it is sanitary." Lol.

 

[AquaRick]

Haha true! Fish poop versus human poop. It's all the same, more or less.

 

[Holygral]

I throw mine in the washer with bleach and soap and just let them air dry. Have for years

 

[bskerrichard27]

I wash mine once inside out on the whitest whites selection on my front loader then with a cup of bleach then I do this again without the bleach then again,but like Carey I save up about ten so I don't have to do this often....

 

[Dav3]

Have you tried washing in the washer without the bleach? How clean are they?

Now consider the bleach. It doesn't actually clean It just removes all color turns everything white. Hides the fact that there is still crap in the sock.

Peroxide on the other hand breaks down the stuff in the sucks so it just washes off/away. Socks still come out white but not because it is bleached white but because it is actually clean.