High Tide Aquatics

Cleaning Filter Socks

Blaise006

Blaise006

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I am interested in peoples method for cleaning filter socks.

Reading the water report for San Jose has me reconsidering using the washing machine.

What is your preferred method for cleaning filter socks?
 
A marine biologist on IG used her washing machine (in a hurry) and didn't pre-rinse her socks. Came back to find dozens of dead bristle worms in her washing machine. I think I'd just use a pressure nozzle on the hose and then rinse/soak in RO water and Prime for awhile after.
 
I don’t use them routinely anymore either. Much happier without.

When I do use them for cleaning I use the Red Sea plastic mesh socks rather than the traditional felt and those are easy to clean by hand in the sink.

Occasionally I still need to use the felt socks when I’m cleaning my sump once a year or so. I hand-rinse thoroughly, then wash with only bleach in washing machine, double rinse.
 
I just hookup a small garden hose to the garage wash basin and use the jet position on the nozzle to clean the socks. Then let them air dry. I don’t see the need for bleach. Just cleaned 9 socks and it only took 17 minutes.



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I don’t clean them. They’re still in there because I’m too lazy to remove them. I just started putting a rectangle of poly fill on top of the sock holder.
 
I can't imagine having so many filter socks that using the washing machine isn't extremely wasteful.

That said 99% of the time I use the mesh socks, super easy to just rinse clean, hang up and the next day they are dry and go back into rotation. Every now and then I use felt ones when I would do some seriously deep cleaning that puts a crap ton (literally and figuratively) of detrtius into the water column. Those are a bigger pain, oxyclean works but I'm having a harder time finding unscented stuff (it all seems to have some level of flowery scent to it even if it doesn't say so on the box), otherwise I'd just use a spray nozzle and try to blow as much crud out of them as possible. 4inch ones are such a major pain in the butt that I tend to just not even use the felt ones anymore (well I haven't since I downgraded majorly)
 
Once or twice a week I wash my filter socks in the washing machine:
- pull out anything I would want to keep (an occasional wayward snail)
- turn inside out and rinse large particles/starfish off in a mop sink
- throw in washer, first a “rinse only” spin, then a normal wash with bleach (bleach isn’t needed unless you are combining socks from different tanks and are concerned about cross contamination)
- put somewhere they can dry thoroughly to avoid mildew

I’ve been using the same socks for years, I have two sets that I rotate through. My husband hates that I do this so I have to be careful about timing it where he doesn’t find the socks in the washing machine when he goes to do his laundry :)
 
Wild Bob said:
So I guess I'm the only guy that takes them into the shower with me and lets my outlaw high - pressure shower head do the work.
Eccentricity is but one of the great privileges of old age.
Click to expand...
Well if I was single again... but I'm in the same camp as Chromis is with my wife. God forbid I clean fishy stuff in the laundry sink, it is forever contaminated and can't be used to clean anything else.
 
What micron size socks do ya'll use? I've given up on socks other than when I'm doing a detritus flush by blowing off all the rocks. The dozen 100 micron socks ive used are a pain to clean, and after every cleaning it seems like they clog faster, then eventually get tossed. I clean with the garden hose and spray head for pressure.

Now I used filter cups with pads or floss in them.
 
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