Best way to clean your filter socks??

[redfishbluefish]

I'm a mesh sock user, and a couple minutes under a running faucet while rubbing fabric to fabric, and done! Clean as clean could be. No bleach, no soaking, no washing machine. For that reason I could never use felt socks.

The second reason is that the only way to properly clean felt is to pressure wash them. A study was done.....let be just copy the conclusions:

I wish I could find the Post I read quite a while ago on a different Forum. I will make it short, he worked in a Lab and was curious to see what was being stuck in the floss of the socks via a Microscope. Most turned out to be Algae and tiny crustaceans and poop and food as expected. What he did after was check to see what was being left after cleaning via Washing Machine straight warm water. The silty stuff pretty much was washed away but the Crustaceans and Algae was there. He then added Bleach and they all came out nice and white but when he looked at they with the Microscope the Crustaceans were still there and so was the Algae cells except the where bleach. What he found out was there is no benefit to using the Bleach, in fact it can become a larger work load as you then have to Rinse them many times and then let them sit in Prime or some other Dechlorinating/Chloramine remover to get rid of the Bleach. I believe he found the Pressure washer to be the best and next was just plain Washing Machine but as for the Bleach, No Benefit to using Bleach as it Bleached the color out of the Algae cells and just looked cleaner.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I simply place in my front load washer and let it soak in hot water only, then wash at normal cycle in warm water.....no bleach or chemicals

 

[cmcimino]

I have read multiply times that soaking filter socks in bleach only bleached the contaminants and does not removed them from the felt. That being said I have a lot of socks so I clean them all at once. I take them out to the drive way and spray them with the hose on the jet mode, 4-5” away and spray moving up to the ring. Then I turn them inside out, spray again, flip them right side out again, spray again. Then I soak them in RO water with some seachem prime for 24 hours. After that I take them out and air dry them. They don’t come out shiny white but a lot of stuff come out.

 

[Bob Escher]

I save up 8, then turn them inside out. Throw in the wash add a half cup of bleach ( hot water) run them threw a cycle.
I then run them threw another wash without adding anything, one more time where I add prime.
Turn them right side out. Throw me them in the dryer for half a hour
They are good to go

 

[MnFish1]

I use 3 felt filter socks with a plastic ring in my sump and they catch so much crap that I don't know how to get it out and having it look like new again. I've read of people soaking them in bleach solution; this left my socks as brown as when I pulled them. I used to turn them inside-out and throw them in the washing machine with bleach. This seemed to work pretty well, but I'm not sure if that would work with the ringed ones.

Does anyone have any experience with effective/safe ways of cleaning their plastic ring felt filter socks??

I spray them with a power nozzle on my laundry tub - it takes 30 seconds/sock and they are clean (enough) for me. I have 4 socks - 2 in the tank - when I take them out - I wash them - and put the other ones in while the newly washed ones dry - have to change perhaps every 4-5 days. I think (no criticism) with everyone concerned about energy usage, etc - to use a washer or dishwasher to do his is a real energy waster.

 

[MnFish1]

I have read multiply times that soaking filter socks in bleach only bleached the contaminants and does not removed them from the felt. That being said I have a lot of socks so I clean them all at once. I take them out to the drive way and spray them with the hose on the jet mode, 4-5” away and spray moving up to the ring. Then I turn them inside out, spray again, flip them right side out again, spray again. Then I soak them in RO water with some seachem prime for 24 hours. After that I take them out and air dry them. They don’t come out shiny white but a lot of stuff come out.

The amount of chlorine/chloramine is so tiny after even just shaking them dry - that here is no need to rinse in RO DI or prime. Unless you are using them in a 1/2 gallon tank - even then its fine.

 

[Ksmmike]

I flip them inside out and wash the main stuff out with a hose. I them let them sit on a small pole (inside out) near the pool in my yard and let the rain and sun beat on them for 2 weeks.
I then put them in the washer with bleach then rewash with no bleach. I dry them on the porch and they look brand new. I only do that about 3-4 times before replacing them.

 

[dugthefish]

I just toss mine in the washing machine, cold settings, double rinse. No bleach or cleaner, just water and agitation. 2x a week.

 

[RobertN]

Best way to clean them ?? Throw them in the garbage !! Get a filter cup that fits and fill with filter floss. Takes a minute to throw away used floss and put fresh in. I have much better things to do in life than clean a filter sock lol!

Yeah, some folks on a local-to-me facebook group mentioned buying a filter cup from Marine Depot and buying 100% polyester pillow filler from Walmart to use in the cup. In general sounds like a good idea.

 

[saltyhog]

Yeah, some folks on a local-to-me facebook group mentioned buying a filter cup from Marine Depot and buying 100% polyester pillow filler from Walmart to use in the cup. In general sounds like a good idea.

This is what I do...at least in the winter time! My routine to clean my socks is to take them outside and clean them with my water hose with as small of a stream as possible. Then turn them inside out and wash in the washing machine with a little bleach and air dry for 2-3 days. I have about 30 socks so I only have to wash about once a month. During the winter when it's cold it's just not convenient to do this so I bought 3 of these filter cups and use Poly-fil which is very inexpensive and just throw it away.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/4-filter-media-cup-red-sea.html

 

[Mkissane]

I am pretty new to posting here. Mostly because all of you are so freakin’ smart I don’t want to say something stupid. I hated cleaning filter socks. I live in CA so using a hose on the driveway is rarely impeded by weather but I do soak my shoes. My wonderful beautiful wife called it my “Fish F**kery time. Turning them inside out was a complete PITA so I tried making a custom cleaner with a HD bucket, although an empty salt buck would do too, drilled drain holes in the bottom and used sprinkler parts. Hook up to hose like I do or a modified utility sink. No more turning inside out. Place sock over pop up full spray sprinkler and turn ball valve on. Move sock up and down, side to side and whatever pattern works. Fine high pressure spray gets 95% of the major gunk off and does not use as much water a a regular hose nozzle. Turn valve off and Repeat. I then follow with using a washing machine with bleach, hot water and extra rinse cycles. I let the clean socks air dry the soak in RODI before final drying. No phosphate bubbles in the RODI bucket and a sniff test for bleach tell me they are good. The oldest ones tend to never get pristine white again. Sounds complex but I can get through a dozen socks in less than 30 min. My tank deserves that investment IMO.

 

[jsker]

I make my own for $0.27 each and toss them.

I use the craft felt from Joann's when Joann's has a sale for %50 off. for the plastic rings on the tip I use throw ring that I bought on Amazon.

For a 4 in whole us a 12 x 12 pattern. At one end hem i one inch piece and then fold and sew the side up. leave the top open when you sew the side so that one can insert the ring. Boom. If you have a five in whole increas the width by on inch so the would be 13x12

 

[livingcolors]

It't not a T shirt, some brown is OK, I soak mine with hydrogen peroxide (NEVER Bleach) and wash in the washer in heavy cycle with hot water. They usually survive about 5 use/wash cycles and then get tossed. Socks are changed in my tank every two-to-four days, back sock every other day, front sock every four.

 

[BOWHUNTER4250]

Hydrogen peroxide for a couple of days then rinse in sink.

plus 10 on this ! i used filter socks for a long time and there is a good article about using hydrogen peroxide to clean these socks .... works better than bleach ! but dont get that much peroxide on your hands , it can burn

 

[RobertN]

I am pretty new to posting here. Mostly because all of you are so freakin’ smart I don’t want to say something stupid. I hated cleaning filter socks. I live in CA so using a hose on the driveway is rarely impeded by weather but I do soak my shoes. My wonderful beautiful wife called it my “Fish F**kery time. Turning them inside out was a complete PITA so I tried making a custom cleaner with a HD bucket, although an empty salt buck would do too, drilled drain holes in the bottom and used sprinkler parts. Hook up to hose like I do or a modified utility sink. No more turning inside out. Place sock over pop up full spray sprinkler and turn ball valve on. Move sock up and down, side to side and whatever pattern works. Fine high pressure spray gets 95% of the major gunk off and does not use as much water a a regular hose nozzle. Turn valve off and Repeat. I then follow with using a washing machine with bleach, hot water and extra rinse cycles. I let the clean socks air dry the soak in RODI before final drying. No phosphate bubbles in the RODI bucket and a sniff test for bleach tell me they are good. The oldest ones tend to never get pristine white again. Sounds complex but I can get through a dozen socks in less than 30 min. My tank deserves that investment IMO.

Don't hesitate to post here--you just posted something VERY clever and now some others may benefit from your invention. Nice idea, nice work!

 

[Jamie Allbritton]

To clean my felts socks I wash my tank towels on a short wash to rid the washer tub of detergent residue, then but my socks in on a sanitary setting with a high soil level with hot water and use bleach. Then use and extra cold rinse to remove the bleach smell and then let them air dry. I usually wait until I have about 6 or more socks that are dirty to run a load. It does take a while for them to run but they come out looking brand new every time.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Best way to clean them ?? Throw them in the garbage !! Get a filter cup that fits and fill with filter floss. Takes a minute to throw away used floss and put fresh in. I have much better things to do in life than clean a filter sock lol!

I started using these as well recently. They allow me to get lazy.

I bought huge bag of filter flow as well as poly pad that I cut to shape. Dump, fill and repeat.

Still use socks occasionally for polishing; when I dose Lanthanum Chloride I use the 5 micron sucker. The 5 micron is insane when it comes to polishing.

I bought these on sale around the holidays, great but not perfect.

https://www.marinedepot.com/High_Fl..._Rimer_Machine_Shop_LLC-6V3427-FIFMME-vi.html


My silencers don't fit in them exactly like they do with socks and will need quick trim which I'll get to eventually.

 

[Jeff_H]

Honestly, I was having the same issue. I switched to the mesh filter socks (cheap on BRS) and they work just as well, and the clean to good as new with just a rinse in the sink.

+1 for mesh socks. I rinse them with the hose outside and hang dry in the garage. They are super easy to clean and can't ever see myself using felt again.

 

[jd371]

Had 10 felt socks in rotation that I would hose off with the garden hose and go into a bucket of water with a little bleach. When I would get to my last sock they would go from the bucket to a washing machine for two rinse cycles and then hung to dry.
That was my routine until last month when I switched to mesh socks and never going back to felt. The mesh socks are easy to clean under the sink unlike the felt that need a lot of pressure to clear out all the crud, I can run the mesh under the faucet and scrub with a brush and get it looking like brand new. They dry a lot quicker than the felt ones. I can also leave the mesh a day or two longer and not have to worry about it overflowing like the felt would do. All I need is two mesh socks that I swap out every 5-6 days, remove one clean it under the sink and let it dry, about 10 minutes from start to finish as apposed to a longer routine with the felts and washing machine.

 

[BillyN]

That’s the same I do with my underwear