Cleaning filter socks WITHOUT bleach.

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#1
I do not enjoy disposable products, and when i learned that some filter socks were DESIGNED to be reused, i went looking through Amazon for reviews from individuals who had reused theirs.

The 200 micron ones that I chose were $40 for 8.

While some folks change theirs once a week, i tend to get about a month out of mine. I could go to every 2 weeks for better tank water quality, but I am a bit lazy with some things.

When researching how to clean them, most folks choose bleach. While bleach is generally considered an acceptable product in most households for cleaning just about everything, I have strayed away from it in favor of products far less harsh. Whenever I can, i prefer hydrogen peroxide or another oxygenator.

I have a local pool & spa supply store that sells the near-industrial concentration of it without causing a fire hazard in the form of this 27% h2o2 product:

IMG_20180609_101532.jpg

It is 1 gallon for 16 bucks. Even if diluted down to the 3% that is common in drug stores, the value in this product becomes readily apparent. The dilution is not necessary for this application, but i am a cheapskate diyer. You might be, too.

While i forgot to take a before picture of my socks, let me just say that they were pretty bad.

I had 10 at hand that were dry and filthy. So i put them ina 5 gallon homer bucket, coated them with a quick splash of the peroxide and poured some down their mouth and let it sit for about half an hour.

I recommend you use gloves and keep it away from wood and paper. Strong concentrations of h2o2 are fire/ignition hazards. Do not fucking try this at home, kids.

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Your hands will look like this if you do not use protection. I was always a fan of the h2o2 sting, and you might be to, but definitely avoid contact with open or healing sores and scars.

After about half an hour, i add about 2 gallons of RO water and stir it with an algae scraper wand. For the most part, this just gets the bubble action going again and gives a beautiful clean salt water and ocean breeze smell. Every critter that was in the socks will make a final appearance at this point.

Over the next several (4 is good) hours, i stir it 3 to 5 more times,and am left from brown filth to this:

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I dump the water down the drain (safe), say good bye to a tremendous amount of sediment and let it soak in hot tap water over night. In the morning i give it a solid shake.


This time, i chose to throw them in the washing machine. I have a hand washer, and in the future i will use it, but for the sake of this tute, i will show the results that, i am dissatisfied with in the electric washer in the next post.
 
Joined
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#2
(ran out of room for embedded pictures)

IMG_20180609_101426.jpg

This is what they look like after the washing machine is run in a heavy duty cycle, no detergent and no bleach, after two completely run empties. I should have just run the delicate, as that is more than adequate for a good clean, but i wanted to see what it would look like after rough tumble.

Answer?

IMG_20180609_101433.jpg

More pilling than i consider acceptable.

Next time, i will use the hand washer.

IMG_20180609_101638.jpg
 
Joined
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#5
If you get the socks with the drawstring top (not the plastic rim) you can turn them inside out, which greatly helps with cleaning. Additionally, it also helps if you can lay them out in the sun until they are bone dry BEFORE trying to clean them. This kills all the algae / bacteria and the dirt comes off like dust.

If you think reef tank socks get dirty, you should see the ones that come out of my koi pond 😱
 

Hutch

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#6
I just pull mine out and hit them with the cone spray on the hose. The high pressure gets rid of everything and then I put them out in the sun a couple days..

I will take pics next time. The socks I like have a hexagon pattern to them and the plastic tops.


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criseom914

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#7
I usually rinse mine first and then bleach them for 24hrs. Let them dry for another day and never had any issues so far.


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Readd13

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#9
Been using bleach for filter socks for awhile now. I just am always a little cautious about the ratio I use in the lighter side.
 
Joined
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My Tank Build
#11
When I used socks I would turn them inside out and hose them off before throwing them in the washer on the sanitize cycle. When I used bleach I ran an extra rinse cycle and made sure they dried out for a few days.
 
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#13
when I used to clean mine, I would just pressure wash, takes 2 minutes to clean em all. Tbh I haven’t even pulled mine out in 9 months tho 😂 can’t keep nutrients up anyway seems pointless lol
 

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