cleaning filter socks

[ironworker]

How do you guys clean filter socks. Or do you use them.

 

[Aquaph8]

Throw them in the washing machine with no soap. When your wife's not home is best. Sometimes I use a little bleach

 

[mcarroll]

If you have a bucket, you can side-step the subterfuge and soak them in a solution of 10% bleach overnight. (Like alliteration? lol)

Then rinse the heck out of them and/or let them air dry until there's no odor of bleach left. A soak in some RO with dechlorinator in it can speed up the last step.

-Matt

 

[impur]

I used them for almost a year. I made my own, you can make 50 of them for the price of one at the LFS. But i would toss them in the washing machine along with my towels that are for fish tank use. I would replace them each week. I wash them with normal detergent and put vinegar in the bleach spot on my washing machine. I also set it for a 2nd rinse.

 

[SmokeyCFH]

I use my hose with a pressure attachment and a bucket, cleans it all out real nice.

 

[Dowtish]

Throw them in the washing machine with no soap. When your wife's not home is best. Sometimes I use a little bleach

+1 to this

 

[pelagic]

I throw them in the washer..
I usually do a "Quick wash cycle" with nothing in there to take away the residue detergent
then, I add some bleach and wash them with the "sterilization" cycle with extra hot water..

I've been doing it for over a years now. never had any problems.

 

[coraljunkie1]

car wash, spot free rinse cycle.

 

[aquabull]

i don't use them. Not only do they steal food from the children (filter-feeders), they also adversely affect skimmer productivity.

 

[STL]

I throw them in the washer on a sanitary cycle - no soap, no bleach. They come out clean without a trace of odor.

 

[CoralClark]

Washer machine in normal cycle, hot water, and a 1/4 cup of bleach, 2nd rinse also



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[ritter6788]

Throw them in the washing machine with no soap. When your wife's not home is best. Sometimes I use a little bleach

Agreed! My wife hates when I wash the filter socks. I've ditched them lately and have been running sock-less because I got tired of cleaning them. I haven't noticed any difference.

 

[LeoLionFish]

On a related note, never use 100 micron filter socks. I thought smaller size = more filtering...I was right unfortunately that means more maintenance for me. The 100 micron sock would last a day before it started to clog up and overflow. 200 micron is pretty much the standard.

 

[mcarroll]

On a related note, never use 100 micron filter socks. I thought smaller size = more filtering...I was right unfortunately that means more maintenance for me. The 100 micron sock would last a day before it started to clog up and overflow. 200 micron is pretty much the standard.

Some folks have even switched up to 400 micron mesh socks.

 

[Dowtish]

Agreed! My wife hates when I wash the filter socks. I've ditched them lately and have been running sock-less because I got tired of cleaning them. I haven't noticed any difference.

You will start noticing a lot more debris in your sump. Cuz i got tired if washing them too.

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[Devonjevon]

Amazed at how many bristle worms make it into my socks.
Wash in machine with bleach run the cycle again with water only


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[poolkeeper1]

Bleach does not actually remove the dirt from the Sock but turns it white so it's not looking as dirty as it really is, Still! I read an article where it was said to use hydrogen Peroxide as it will actually dissolve the dirt trapped in the sock and not just make it white. This makes sense as after time even clean looking socks clog up real fast as they age and have so much trapped dirt they no longer function for any length of time. Just my .02
All in all using socks if you have a great skimmer is optional as they will compete for contaminates and cause you to do more work and spend more money.

 

[Aquaph8]

Agreed! My wife hates when I wash the filter socks. I've ditched them lately and have been running sock-less because I got tired of cleaning them. I haven't noticed any difference.

I did the same. Sometimes I still run one while cleaning the tank though.