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Bleaching pots

gasificada

gasificada

How do you go about bleaching pots? I read somewhere that soaking them in a 1 part bleach to 9 part water solution then scrubbing them should do the trick. If so, how long should I soak them for?

I've got some shit going on at the moment so I want to get rid of a whole bunch of plants but want to re-use the pots. I don't know whether the problem is viral, pest related, or something less extreme... but still want to be sure I've covered all bases... that is, killed any viruses or disease, killed any eggs, killed any fungus or rot, or whatever the case may be.
 
I don't know if what I do is correct or not, but I have never had a problem. All I do is, hose off all the pots and scrape off anything that is in them so that they are basically clean, then I dump them in a 5 gallon bucket of luke warm water with about 1 1/2 cups of bleach. I swish them around for a few second to about 1 minute and then I rinse well.
 
Sounds like a plan PF. I'm guessing that as long as the bleach is strong enough to kill everything, then there shouldn't be any dramas and the job is done.

BTW, do you know why the dilution is required? Is that simply for the sake of not ruining the pots? I am assuming that just as long as a good rinse follows, it shouldn't matter if the solution was a little stronger than needed, yeah?
 
I also assume that the solution could be stronger as long as you are providing a good rise afterward. I don't really measure my solution, I just know that I pour about 1 1/2 cups in a 5 gallon bucket. However, since I' m not measuring I guess I could be going as strong as 2-3 cups of bleach. Just remember to provide a very good rinse.
 
I read somewhere (I remember not) that it's a 1 part bleach to 10 part water solution.

FWIW
 
+1 Pepperfreak
I like to soak and and wash my pots with a mild bleach solution and then rinse them off real good with a hose or pressure washer.
For big nurseries/greenhouses its cheaper/more efficient to just buy new pots, which is why they often give away or recycle the old ones. It never hurts to ask for pots and save some $$
 
lots of +1s this morning....but +1 again...

I get my 5 gallon nursery containers for a buck each...they are thick durable plastic that I will get several years out of....they are used containers from one of my local nurserys....
 
Also, it is generally easier to rinse off the bleach products that do not have any scent added. That's more critical for things like homebrewing, but just as applicable here.
 
Warning - do NOT mix bleach with vinegar or you will die OK

Adding vinegar to the bleach/water mix is even better. The vinegar lowers the PH of the water allowing the bleach to work better. It's common practice in Home Brewing to use bleach/vinegar to sterilise equipment.

Oh - did I mention to NOT add vinegar to bleach directly??
 
Cube said:
Warning - do NOT mix bleach with vinegar or you will die OK

Adding vinegar to the bleach/water mix is even better. The vinegar lowers the PH of the water allowing the bleach to work better. It's common practice in Home Brewing to use bleach/vinegar to sterilise equipment.

Oh - did I mention to NOT add vinegar to bleach directly??
Click to expand...

Oh come on Chlorine Gas isn't that bad. It puts hair on your chest.
(WARNING - What I wrote above is a joke)
 
willard3 said:
Hydrogen peroxide will do the same job but is way less residual than chlorine and doesn't smell nasty.
Click to expand...

True true. Most brewers use a no rinse solution which is 1.5 mils of bleach to 5 Litre of water. Mix that up to what ever amount you want then add the same amount of vinegar to the bleach and water mix that there is bleach in there. ie equals amount of bleach and vinegar.

No rinse means that - can be used once drained out and dried if for human consumption but not necessary to dry. I bottle all my beer with this method and NEVER had an infection or ANY chlorine taste -- ever.

Sure for a real nuclear clean 1 cup of bleach and vinegar to 30 Litres of water is going to need a rinse of hot hot water or two to get rid of the smell.
 
Cube said:
Warning - do NOT mix bleach with vinegar or you will die OK

Oh - did I mention to NOT add vinegar to bleach directly??
Click to expand...

I'm just finding this thread after looking for another pot topic, and Cube's post was confusing.

Online wikianswers say "They react and create chlorine gas, chloramine and other noxious fumes. Accidental or deliberate mixing of bleach with fluids containing ammonia (or with acids) causes severe damage to the lungs.

The precise reactions that occur are dependent on several factors including pH, temperature and concentrations, and are badly understood by amateur chemists.

Do not mix bleach with other household cleaning solutions, with vinegar or other acids, or with urine."

If you have a bucket of some cleaning product and think you want to add a little bleach to it just to get it all sanitized, please read the label. Or better yet, clean with the cleaner, run a rinse rag over it and then use a bleach rag.

A couple other bleach notes-
I'd wash the dirty plant pots first and then soak them in the bleach solution.

Soap/detergent negates the sanitizing action of bleach. Don't add bleach to your soapy water, it won't do a thing. Wash, Rinse, Sanitize....

Hot water negates the sanitizing action of bleach also. Use barely lukewarm or cold water.
 
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