What is the best and safest way to wash filter socks.

[TonyInVa]

Need to wash my filter sock. What is the best and safest way to wash filter socks. Not sure if laundry detergent and/or bleach is reef safe.

[Supreme Reefs]

I use the garden hose.

[onux20]

Its a waste of water BUT...I wash mine in the machine with just bleach. Then let air dry prior to use.

[lanman]

I save mine up in a bucket until I have about 30 of them, then run them through the washing machine - no bleach or soap.

 

bob

[flowerseller]

I wash mine in the washing machine with just bleach and vinegar and then let air dry.

[scott711]

washing machine with a little bleach.

[Brian Ward]

washing machine, no soap or chemicals. Also, I always turn them inside-out because my washer likes to pull the seam at the bottom apart (also helps the dirt come out of the sock, since the inside is where it's stuck.

[Jon Lazar]

Although I don't use filter socks any longer, I used the same two filter socks for several years. I washed them every week or so both with bleach and without, but never with soap. I've found that sometimes I get an overactive skimmer after using bleach, even through I let them dry for days, so I stopped using bleach.

[ctreptow]

inside out in the washer with bleach only. I have 50 of them so I wait till I get about 20 ready to go. Air dry for a couple of days then back in use.

 

Chris

[ArtC]

A few years back I was running GBs for filter socks because my brother is in commercial filtration. I asked him about washing socks, and he said that he only had one customer who washed filter socks, and they were buying two new washing machines a year just for socks.

 

So my advice is not to wash them too often, and especially not with the washer packed with them. Front loading washers will probably not have the same problems as the top loaders (with the agitator in the middle.)

 

Definitely no soap - the rinse cycle won't get all the soap out.

 

Standard bleach is sodium hypochloride (NaClO), so it will just break down into sodium and chloride ions. Of which you already have plenty, if you are posting here. So no problem using it to wash socks.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach