Sterilizing a clay pot

[rbarata]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but...anyway...

I was thinking if I put a clay pot inside my kitchen oven...considerig it won't break, for how long and temp shuld it be inside to kill everything harmful to orchids, including virus)?

[Bud]

for old and used clay pots: I just clean it with soap and water then microwave it for 3 minutes.

[rbarata]

I was reading about putting clay in a microwave and, depending on the clay type, it can be somewhat dangerous.

[Bud]

Some of the strengths in microwaving of clay/ceramic are:
◾Chemical neutrality (foreign substances do not enter)
◾No harmful substances release (even at very high temperatures) unless it is painted with lead based or old planters they have metallic paints which is a no-no
◾Heat in the clay pots spreads slowly and lasts longer
◾Thanks to the porous structure, ceramic clay pots give up the accumulated moisture in the form of steam (keep them in cold water for 10 minutes before use)
◾Hard water scale never occurs in ceramic clay

Among the bad sides are:
◾Ceramic can be easily broken, cracked or crumbled
◾Unglazed clay retains smell for a long time, so you must use baking soda to remove smell.
◾Prolonged repetitive microwaving a ceramic pot leads to cracks on the surface

* do not microwave polymer clay or painted clay pots

[rbarata]

I'm not sure what kind of clay this is...
In cae of using the oven...do you know which temp and for how long?

[Leafmite]

I usually scrub well with soap and water, rinse, put the clay pot in the oven, turn the oven on and then bake it for around 1/2 hour after it reaches 400'F/205'C. I turn off the oven and let it cool completely in there. When it is completely cool, then it comes out of the oven.

---------- Post added at 06:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:25 PM ----------

Here is something....

https://staugorchidsociety.org/PDF/C...ySueBottom.pdf

[rbarata]

Thanks Leafmite

Bud, thak you too but given the amount of uncertainties, I think it's safer to use the oven. The worst case is a broken pot which, at least, is cheaper than a pot plus a microwave.

[Leafmite]

I think I will just buy new clay pots in the future.....
500'F for two hours! Wow!

It is important to put the pots in the oven first to heat gradually and let them cool in the oven gradually to prevent cracking (I actually exploded one once and it wasn't 500'F....).

[rbarata]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

I think I will just buy new clay pots in the future.....

This one is new and I had a hard time finding this one...
But I have some disease in some of the plants in the area where the pot was stored so I want to sterilize it.

[Dollythehun]

I just apply a bleach solution to soak and run them through the dishwasher