Cleaning Pots and Containers

[owainglyndwr]

I'm planning a Saturday afternoon of cleaning out old pots.

I've got access to a power wash/steam cleaner that gets scaldingly hot when you turn the thermostat up, and was wondering if this was adequate to get rid of any nasties, without using additional disinfectant?

[Susie Snowdrop]

Yeah, it's what we use at work.

Be careful though, you could have pots flying all over the neighbourhood ;D ;D

[Juliet]

Ooh, that's a good idea - I usually use bicarbonate of soda & a kettleful of boiling water, but if I've got lots of pots I have to keep boiling the kettle & it takes forever. We've got a steam cleaner in the garage though - bought it for stripping wallpaper & haven't ever used it for cleaning anything - I'll have to give it a go!

[Deleted]

Are you referring to pot pots or plastic pots WB?

[Chuckles]

Confess, it's something I don't normally do, saying that I wouldn't use dirty dirty pots. Mostly I just give them a tap out to get rid of any bit's of compo that may be left in or the bigger ones get a brush out with an old brissle type cobweb brush I keep in the shed for the job. Am I naughty

[lottielady]

No you're not bad Chuckles! There are lots of experienced gardeners who have confessed to never washing pots! Sometimes I do - sometimes I dont!

LLx

[Rosefriend]

Well - erm - yes I must admit that I never wash pots out either. Could of course be the answer to a few calamities..........bit lazy I suppose.

RF

[owainglyndwr]

susiesnowdrop said:

Be careful though, you could have pots flying all over the neighbourhood ;D ;D

I'd thought of that. I'm going to put the smaller ones into a home- made 'cage' ... 2 supermarket shopping baskets clamped together ;D

I'm not usually so fussy but the larger ones (plastic) are going to be re-sprayed by a friend. So they have to be squeaky clean

[Chuckles]

The bath and or shower springs to mind or just the shower if it's not over the bath. You could give them a soak and a swish round first in the bath then shower them off. Maybe the wife would not be best pleased though so praps not such a good idea. I'd do it but then my bathroon is downstairs ;D

[Spruance]

I must say that it is tempting to use the pressure washer on the larger containers, but I tend to just scrub mine out with hot water and washing up liquid, or occasionally Citrox, an organic disinfectant.

Otherwise, I do tend to wipe my tomato canes over with a Jeyes fluid solution to kill any nasties, but usually do this as they are put away at the end of the season. I don't use Jeyes on containers, but I do usually give the GH glass and floors a wash down with it at least once a year.

The biggest problem I find with washing pots and containers, is that there is very little incentive to do it, unless you have 'X' number of plants waiting for a new home!