Washing filter socks

[reefpepper]

Any need for concern about washing filter socks in washing machines using regular detergent? As hard as we try to keep our tank clean seems that might begin to add unwanted stuff to the water.

[fat-tony]

everyone i've heard uses bleach, rinses the socks after and line dries

[kingsland]

Soap isn't necessary. Turn it inside out and rinse. Wash through one hot cycle - adding bleach is ok. I usually run through another hot cycle water only and then air dry.

[DarG]

Yes, dont use detergent.

I turn them inside out. 1 Cycle bleach on hot. rinse cycle. Then I run them through another wash/rinse cycle with cold water only, no bleach. So basically i run through 3 rinse cycles after 1 bleach cycle. But I machine dry on very lowest heat setting. They dry fast.

[reefpepper]

I'm gonna quit doing soap and start a little bleach. Another cycle for rinsing sounds like a good idea. The bleach kinda didn't sound right at first because bleach is chlorine(i think) and thats not good in tanks for sure. Even the water that we're rinsing with contains chlorine, mine does. I have 10 socks that i rotate so by the time that sock is reused the chlorine should be nutralized, right?

[raleej337]

What I do is soaked it in a mixture of water and bleach overnight, rinse by hand until the bleach smell is gone then dry it under the sun.

[johnnyblaze313]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12212137#post12212137 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by raleej337
What I do is soaked it in a mixture of water and bleach overnight, rinse by hand until the bleach smell is gone then dry it under the sun.

same here

[OneReef]

I soak mine in a 5 gallon bucket with about a half cup of bleach in the water overnight, then run through the delicate cycle on the washer with nothing but hot or warm water, to rinse them out. Then I let them sit in the open to air dry.

[chris4869]

I have to give the soaking in water and bleach method a try. I take it that you don't have to pre clean it, and letting the bleach do all the work.

I've been using my garden hose to pre clean mine, then follow by a good soaking in water with bleach for a day, then soaking it in plain water for another day, and then air dry. If I don't soak it in bleach, the filter sock gets clogged up quicker.

[DarG]

Yes, the bleach gets rid of the gunk in the "pores" and opens them up. I just send through a long wash cycle with bleach in the machine and that opens em up so the flow like new. But soaking will do the same thing.

[Noise]

Using regular detergent can leave phosphates in the sock.

I wash in bleach with hot water and let them air dry like the others do.

[ErikS]

You can use a "detergent"....................look for Arm & Hammer "Washing Soda" - it's reef safe (check in the two part recipes for what it's made from).

Cleans the socks & is reef safe = good to go.