How do you clean your filter sock?

[SmyrnaReefer]

Title says it all!!

 

[zukmancdr]

Some say to use bleach, but I use the water hose it works great and no chemicals.

 

[NeveSSL]

A lot of people just save them up through the week and then do a load of laundry with them and some bleach, as zukmancdr mentioned. I tried this and don't like it. I'm working on a little filter station that I use pillow stuffing in and can just throw it away. Works great on smaller tanks, probably not as well on larger tanks.

Brandon

 

[zukmancdr]

I was told that the laundry detergent leaves a residue That can kill your corals.

 

[NeveSSL]

Thats why you just use bleach and let them air out completely before using again.

Brandon

 

[GT_Jacket]

I use Oxiclean.... read that it is safer than bleach. I run it through an extra rinse also.

 

[pelagic7]

I save 5 dirty ones then wash them w/ the dirty fish tank towels w/ bleach only using washer.

 

[Pickupman66]

I run mine thru the washing machine by themselves with just water.

Please excuse my brevity. This was sent from my Android via Tapatalk

 

[Jennifier615]

This is a great topic! We were wondering the same thing!! Is there enough residue from detergent in your machine to make a difference? Laundry detergent is PURE phosphates plus extra added nastiness.....

 

[ocd_mariner]

I save them up for a few weeks and wash 10 or 11 at a time. I dump some bleach in there, 2 rinse, air dry. I've been doing that for about 4 years.

 

[poolkeeper1]

If you have a front loader and use HE detergent you can get in trouble real fast because it leaves residue in the Machine no matter if you only use bleach or not. I rinse mine as clean as I can then let them soak over night in water with Bleach then rinse with the final rinse water treated with Dechlorinate then air dry B4 use. I have read a thread about using Hydrogen Peroxide instead of bleach, It said that bleach actually does not remove the dirt just turns it white. The Peroxide will clean the sock better but as far as cost effective i don't have a clue.
Bill

 

[MVlk]

I soak in bleach or vinegar. Too much of a germaphobe to use the washing machine.

 

[GT_Jacket]

I have read a thread about using Hydrogen Peroxide instead of bleach

Back to my OxiClean method - From google - take it for what it is worth -

OxiClean - Active ingredients are sodium carbonate (aka washing soda, used in cleaning, cooking, and industrial applications) and sodium percarbonate which is crystalline compound of sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide, activated by water. So when you mix up that Oxi, you end up with Water, Peroxide, and Sodium Carbonate...and the peroxide futher dissociates into oxygen bubbles and more water. So your total byproduct is water, oxygen, and washing soda

 

[ocd_mariner]

Bill, good point about the front loader. I don't have one of those so it hasn't been an issue, but I guarantee if we upgraded I wouldn't have thought about it.

 

[poolkeeper1]

My 120

My 120

Bill, good point about the front loader. I don't have one of those so it hasn't been an issue, but I guarantee if we upgraded I wouldn't have thought about it.

Chris and myself came to the conclusion that was what was killing everything i put in my tank. As when i put that 120 up I could not keep anything alive for more than a day or two, Well after i stopped washing the Socks in the Front loader (With only Bleach) All of a sudden everything started to do just fine. So we concluded it was the soap residue from HE detergent that is many time stronger than regular detergent. I actually Sold the tank thinking it was Jinxed....
Bill:uzi:

 

[GT_Jacket]

Hummm - I have a front loader w/ HE detergent. I think i'm going to start soaking in Oxiclean in a bucket and blasting w/ a water hose. Even after a couple of rinses the cleaned socks still make my skimmer go nuts (bleach or Oxiclean method).

Thanks for the tip -