Cleaning Hydroton

[LittleAmsterdam]

How many people clean their Hydroton while within the tray? That seems to be the easiest method....

Should I soak them in H202 or hygrozyme or diluted bleach for 12+ hrs? What happens if you don't clean them....?

 

[FreezerBoy]

I start by cleaning with a strong agitated rinse followed by soaking in a 5% bleach solution for a few minutes followed by another strong agitated rinse. While not porous, hydroton is a highly textured material that can trap dead matter that, left behind, could foul your res.

 

[LittleAmsterdam]

Do you soak and clean them while still in the tray?

 

[stonedar]

I would want to remove them, to clean the tray itself.

 

[PoopyTeaBags]

i like to use the hose in the bag method... then i use it in net pots so ill scoop it in the net pots and wash it again after that....

 

[FreezerBoy]

Do you soak and clean them while still in the tray?

No, I'm a small fry. My usual MO is a single plant. I use a colander under the bathtub tap, soak with bleach in a bucket and back under the tap with the colander.

I'd imagine quantity could be a real pain. Some guy here as an extra washing machine for just this purpose.

 

[dubwise]

If you've got a deep sink with a strainer this can be easier then you think. Now-a-days I use a deep sink...fill it half way with hydroton & soak it in a weak bleach solution 100:1 + warm water....soak for a few hours then drain. I use a sprayer attached to the end of the faucet and hit it with some pressure and hot water. You can use net pots to pull out the medium spray it clean and then put it in a bin for reuse. If you don't have a deep sink, you can use this same method with a drum or 5g buckets, but the deep sink is really easy. HTH.

 

[Warped1]

Dub cleans his perlite and vermiculite too lol.. I'd say the hydroton would be as easy or more so.

 

[Rowdy420]

Easiest method - washing machine with some H2O2. You can set it on soak for a while then a 10 minute agitation. Once finished in washing machine use a wet/dry vacuum to suck em out, no stress no mess or just scoop em up. I use this method to clean new hydroton too, you might have to run it twice to get all the "red"out.

Good luck, Peace

 

[LittleAmsterdam]

Report: I've had good luck cleaning the hydroton while still in the tray. Kill two birds with one stone.

1. Soak with H202, Hot Water, and wash with strong agitation. This helps break up the dead matter
2. Drain and wash again with strong agitation to rinse away a much dead material as possible

Don't think my "Old Woman" would appreciate me using the washing machine for my hydroton.....

 

[mpd]

I do it in the sink. I take one of the station buckets from the DWC system and fill it with hot water and a 1/4 cup of bleach. Then I blast them with the hose in the sink to move them around and get the crud off. Drain off the water and ready for the next run. I've been using the same hygroton for 6 years. Why screw with what works? Besides, it just gives me an excuse to clean and bleach everything again so that the next round starts off with squeaky clean gear. Those gross-assed 1/4" feed hoses I just replace. That's too much most of the time.

 

[GP73LPC]

i used to rinse and clean the best i could with tap water in the sink and then boil them.

never had any problems re-using mine...

 

[Colo-mmj]

I have 2 batches (batch A & B) that I alternate between each grow
If batch A is being used it means that batch B is in storage/cleaning.
If I'm using batch B, it means that batch A is in storage cleaning.

I use two large Tupperware containers (12/15 gal) the the 12 gal has ~200 holes drilled in the bottom to let it drain.

I nest the 12 gal inside of the 15 gal, fill it with hot water, and then I add about a cup of H2O2 (35%).

I stir the shit out of the mix and let it sit overnight (in a pitch black location - light kills h2o2).

The following day I lift the 12 gal out and rinse it for 5-10 min's in the shower.

Next, I dump the whole batch out onto a tarp to air dry in the sun.

Once dry, I move the hydroton into another 12 gal tupperware container and wait for the following grow to use it (sits for 8 weeks - as I alternate between hydroton batch A & B)

 

[Andyo]

dry n rake

dry n rake

For 15 yrs + ive dried 500 to 1000 ltrs of hydroton .
Once very dry i rake them so the roots crumble i agitate them down .
Transfer the rootless hydroton to 2 large tanks 1000 ltrs each soak 24 hrs stirring n agitating 10 times or so drain rinse ph n use or dry n store no bleach.
Never had any problems.A

 

[Nifty_PoT]

I cleaned mine with an electric water pressure sprayer(20-50bar) in a big plastic strainer. Goes real quick and they are very very clean. I really suggest this method if you have a larger amount to clean ,ie a few hundred liters. Best method ive used (cleaned about 160 liters in 2 hours to a sparkle clean)

 

[vangaurd]

I am on a small scale but for my 8, 6 inch pots i simpily put them in a large pot, add 6ml of H2o2 per gallon of water and boil them for 10 minutes never missed a beat..

 

[singularity]

unless on a small scale grow, cleaning hydroten can be problematic from my experience. more often than not, buy new if possible.