Washing my filter socks
- Thread starter Vincent100
- Start date
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Rick.45cal
2500 Club Member
My filter sock routine: Filtersock gets turned inside out, goes in a bucket of bleach for 24 hours, then rinse bucket, then another rinse bucket, then into the washer where it they are washed on a heavy duty cycle with just water, no bleach. They then get hung up out in the fresh air and indirect sunlight on my back porch. (Usually for five days). They come out clean as can be, minimal effort on my part.
Here's what I've learned from turning my socks inside out for washing. DO NOT do it!
I turned 6 inside out and 6 I did not. The ones I turned out "started to shed" after the first washing. I can only surmise that this is in fact destroying the socks potential. Thinning them out so to speak.
The ones I did not turn out did not develop the shedding and came out just as clean. Using the bleach in the washing machine method for both.
I turned 6 inside out and 6 I did not. The ones I turned out "started to shed" after the first washing. I can only surmise that this is in fact destroying the socks potential. Thinning them out so to speak.
The ones I did not turn out did not develop the shedding and came out just as clean. Using the bleach in the washing machine method for both.
Rick.45cal
2500 Club Member
BluewaterLa
Active Member
Jus a question for those using a wash machine to wash filter socks
Anyone concerned with the huge amount of fabric softener and or laundry detergent built up inside the basket area.
I've taken plenty of machines apart from the standard style to the new HE models and all have a crud of detergent that builds up behind the metal baskets.
Wouldn't this allow detergents or chemicals from the built up crud enter your reef tank ?
Just my thought process, same with hunting clothes for scent purposes. Always used a dedicated machine to wash hunting clothes that has never had regular detergent run through it.
Thoughts
Anyone concerned with the huge amount of fabric softener and or laundry detergent built up inside the basket area.
I've taken plenty of machines apart from the standard style to the new HE models and all have a crud of detergent that builds up behind the metal baskets.
Wouldn't this allow detergents or chemicals from the built up crud enter your reef tank ?
Just my thought process, same with hunting clothes for scent purposes. Always used a dedicated machine to wash hunting clothes that has never had regular detergent run through it.
Thoughts
I used to manage a maintenance company and this is what we would do. All tanks had 2 sets of filter socks. We'd wash them like this, let them dry for a week, then swap them with the other set when we did the next visit
JMLewis
Active Member
I'm with you on this! I used to wash them out in the washing machine with bleach on the first run and then 2 rinse/spin cycles and let em dry for a week or so. But every time I'd smell them there'd be a faint softener smell to them. Ended up not using them out of fear of them harming the tank.
jeffrey holloway
Active Member
Rinse mine with the garden hose/high pressure nozzle, soak in 10 to 1 bleach overnight, rinse really well and air dry several days. No problems.
I would think that if it were an issue we'd be seeing massive die offs no? Reefers have been using said sock cleaning method for years with zero negative impact.
Then again I've yet to see an actual study done on it. I can only speak on my own experience of doing it this way for the last 2yrs. Still happy healthy livestock and corals. Except for SPS, I can't keep them sticks alive for nothing [emoji38]
Brew12
Electrical Gru
I doubt you would see die offs from most of the stuff that would stick to your socks. I would think it could cause an algae or bacteria bloom though.
Flippers4pups
Fins up since 1993
I've washed mine that way for ten years. Never any problems. Never.
Guys, this is nothing new. Washing them this way has been around for longer than I've been reefing. 93.
Guys, this is nothing new. Washing them this way has been around for longer than I've been reefing. 93.
Rick.45cal
2500 Club Member
I've got a small 1.5 cubic foot washing machine I got from Wally world that lives on my back porch. It only washes filter socks and has never had anything except water in it.
DustinTWilliams
Community Member
Check this out. If it's not ok then pls let me know
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=htt...YI0i2dDITQud83WNswXcdyuhrv6DZzhOhNC1sc6xhld4Q
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=htt...YI0i2dDITQud83WNswXcdyuhrv6DZzhOhNC1sc6xhld4Q
debby
Active Member
Collect them in a 'smell proof' container, then take to laundromat and wash with bleach there. if you do them in your home machine, eventually it will (the washer) start to smell. Better smell up someone else's washer
Neptune1707
Active Member
I pre-soak socks in bucket with bleach to breakdown trapped particles. Then throw in the wash machine with a little bleach on hot water on heavy wash. Depending on brand of sock, some come cleaner than others. I find the Red Sea brand tends to still look dirty. Once they are done I rinse by hand in sink and then just let them air dry. I find that since bleach is in concentrated format these days, residue can exist after washing, which usually causes my skimmer to go crazy, and def not good for the system overall. So I rinse real good with tap water and air dry. Lately I have been just using the 250 micron mesh socks that came with my tank....super easy to quickly rinse and put back in. I tend to use the felt socks after a water change to help polish the water. Good luck.
njtiger aquariums
Well-Known Member
as everyone else stated washing machine is fine. Here is how I do mine
* I have two socks
* Each week I pull the sock out and put a new one in
* dirty sock is pulled inside out and ringed out (get the extra water off the sock)
* dirty sock is then put into the washer by itself and ran on a HOT/COLD cycle using my wife's home made soap
* After wash is done the sock is turned right side out
* Sock goes for another wash either by itself or with a load
Now I have been doing this with these two sock for 7 to 8 months now. Before I was hand washing and never got them clean enough so I purchased new socks.
I have not seen any shedding from either socks doing the above method.
* I have two socks
* Each week I pull the sock out and put a new one in
* dirty sock is pulled inside out and ringed out (get the extra water off the sock)
* dirty sock is then put into the washer by itself and ran on a HOT/COLD cycle using my wife's home made soap
* After wash is done the sock is turned right side out
* Sock goes for another wash either by itself or with a load
Now I have been doing this with these two sock for 7 to 8 months now. Before I was hand washing and never got them clean enough so I purchased new socks.
I have not seen any shedding from either socks doing the above method.
Slarti
Active Member
Exactly my procedure, I do leave it in the bleach mix for a day or so before throwing it in the wash.
Slarti
Active Member
Follow up question on all this, hope many people actually run their system without a sock at all? I have been very slack in cleaning my sock of late with work interfering badly with my spare time(don't you just hate that!) and was wondering if it won't be better just running without it rather.
