Filter sock cleaning?

[rynon]

I know dumb question. I've had a reef tank with acro's and other SPS for years but wondered how everyone cleans a 100 micron filter sock? I have been cleaning it under the faucet but it seems like it's never "clean". How does everyone here do it? Thanks.

 

[mxett]

I throw my 4 in the washing machine. I turn them inside out, put them on a limited wash with no detergent. The spin cycle at fast rpm seems to do the trick. Others use a bit of bleach but I haven't found that necessary.

 

[rynon]

I'll try that out, thanks for the reply!

 

[Phyxius]

I have a bunch I rotate during the week. Take the dirty one off and throw it in a 3g bucket with a 1/4 bleach and put a new one on tank. At the end of the week I throw them in the washer and run it through 2 wash/rinse cycles. I let them dry for a day or so and start the cycle all over again. They last a few months and then I just get some new ones and start them in the rotation. Been doing this for 2 yrs with no problems.

I have found that the old washer we had with the agitation post in the center cleaned them really well. Wife got one of these new fancy low water super efficient futuristic washers that has a weird almost flat cone inside that rotates the clothes and is supposed to be more gentle. It must be because my filter socks dont seem to be as clean coming out anymore.....I guess the old washer really beat them clean in there with the post swishing them all around. I just keep my mouth shut as she isn't real happy about me washing the filters in there anyways

 

[rynon]

Yeah I think my wife will feel the same . I have the old school washer so I should be OK. I'll give this a try next time the thing needs cleaning.....it's amazing how much gunk that thing holds on to.

 

[mxett]

Ha, I just tell my wife who the boss is around here. :mad2:

Then after she finishes doing this: :hammer: :uzi: and I get no more of this :love1: , and I look like this: :hmm4: I remember that its her of course.

 

[rynon]

Thanks for the laugh.

 

[down and outman]

I take a hose to mine. Not perfect but my wife would kill me if I used her Maytag! I'm in the doghouse enough of the time, no need to push it. I'm always taking her cooking utensils for tools as it is. Had to buy her some new measuring cups as her plastic ones disapeared mysteriously.

 

[tcwayne]

Bucket, bleach, rinse several x's,dry,rinse again,white as snow. Wife "do you really need to rinse that as much?" me "yes I do". Then I do it in the garage sink. THE washer surely is not an option.

 

[Phyxius]

down and outman,
So true on the kitchen utensils...Wife and daughter went to the "Dollar Store" one day just to get me some cheap measuring cups, measuring spoons, turkey baster, pot brush and 2 small buckets so I would keep out of her kitchen items. Guess she didn't like hers disappearing or being used for tank stuff either

 

[down and outman]

I did go out and buy a turkey baster. Didn't want thanksgiving to taste like fish tank.

 

[lakee911]

When we got the tank, I told the girlfriend that we need to keep fish stuff and kitchen stuff separated. Now I'm borrowing all kinds of kitchen things for the tank. I think she wasn't too keen on me leaving fishy stuff on the counter in kitchen bowls, so now I'm back to my plastic buckets. Those usually get left on the counter too...

I hang the socks to dry and then wash a bunch of them in the washer on low water, ultra clean with a cup of bleach. Then they hang dry again.

Jason

 

[corals b 4 bills]

I take mine out to the front yard and blow a garden hose in it with the gun on streem, it only takes 5 or 6 mins. I have had the same two filter socks for a year now. If my wife found my filter socks in the washing machine she'd freak. anyways, the hose doesn't tear them up like the WM. I just ordered two more from MDepot but these things would last another 5 months I'm sure-My $.02