How to clean plastic pots to reuse?
 

Hi!

I have several orchids (some of which are actually growing! :D) and need to repot most of them. I've found that clear plastic pots work best for me for various reasons and would like to reuse some I have on hand (esp since they're expensive to order & impossibly to find locally :_(). Can plastic pots be cleaned sufficiently in the dishwasher? Are there better ways to clean them (that don't involve Physan or other chemicals toxic to curious cats) or other things I should do in addition to using a dishwasher (if dishwasher's okay)?

Thanks a bunch!
:thankyou

I used to soak them in a bleach solution... but I think I've gotten lazy in my old age... now I just scrub them in hot soapy water rinse, and call them clean enough... ;)

sponge, soap and warm water. dry it and its ready to go...use alcohol and cotton to wipe it if youre still not sure

Yes, You can put them in the dish washer. Make sure you turn the heat cycle off! Then when your going to use them. Get a pot of hot water and mix 10% bleach and just dunk them.

I just scrub with warm soapy water and a washing up brush (an old one).

In lieu of Physan, Keith's suggestion of bleach is a good one, but I'd soak 'em overnight, not just a dip.

Despite their impervious appearance, plastics are porous and can harbor all sorts of pathogens.

Thanks!
 

Thank you all! Guess I'll have to get out the ole bleach afterall. :blushing: Was hoping a simple run through the dishwasher would kill everything.

I'll scrub out the pots and then soak overnight in 10% bleach unless you suggest otherwise. Thanks so much for the advice!
:thankyou

Elaines,

Your primary reason to sterilize pots is to prevent the spread of virus. Dishwashers, soap and hot water alone will not accomplish this. If they did, we would have cured Aids a long time ago!

A 5% solution of clorox for 24 hours is the safest way to go, 10% if you want overkill. I scrub off any remaining mix and roots before I soak them.

CL

I use dish soap in my bleach to break the surface tension.....

5% should be fine if your soaking them over night.

CL

the HIV virus is probably killed by hot water and soap, it would not really live long outside a host. It would degrade in dry air. It can survive in hypodermic needles because there is blood.
Probably would not "die" instantly but within a few hours.

If it wasn't so HIV positive people could not live in contact with others and would have to be isolated like people that contract Ebola or Marburg.

How long does HIV live outside the body


Anyway 1:10 bleach solution does not kill all teh micro - organisms:
Sterilization (microbiology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"however to kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis it should be diluted only 1/5, and 1/2.5 (1 part bleach and 1.5 parts water) to inactivate prions. The dilution factor must take into account the volume of any liquid waste that it is being used to sterilize.[23] Bleach will kill many organisms immediately, but for full sterilization it should be allowed to react for 20 minutes. Bleach will kill many, but not all spores. It is also highly corrosive."


alcohol at least 60% concentration seems pretty good too although does not killl bacterial spores

CDC - Disinfection & Sterilization Guideline:Disinfection - HICPAC

McGill Laboratory Biosafety Manual - Sterilization and Disinfection in the Laboratory

Clorox.com | Disinfectant Products FAQ

agreed with these methods. please only do a trial and error type thing. dont repot a whole collection. try sterilizing only one pot and see if you sterilized enough. when ive done above methods, i have blanched the pots, soaked overnight in so much bleach it would kill me, put in the microwave, steamed, rubbed with alcohol and still lost several plants from mold/whatever it was that took over. i shouldve invested in the heavy duty stuff. maybe it was just meant to be. anyways, remember to wear gloves to avoid any damage to yourself :)

Plastic may partly break down or corrode in high concentration of bleach.

Omar, you may have sterilized the pots but mold is present in the air and in the produce/ fruits you bring home...

true, also couldve been in the bark media i used. any number of possibilities

I just scrub off the dirt and then I either wipe with 70% isopropyl alcohol or soak in bleach. Sometimes I still get mold, which I don't think is directly related to the pots themselves, but to the air, the mix, and even the plant's roots (when you repot, there's got to be mold spores clinging to the roots, no matter how hard you wash or scrape away the old mix).

I think dunking the roots and media/ rootball in Hydrogen Peroxide for a few minutes and lets it bubble a bit is a good way to get rid of insects/fungi/bacteria maybe virii as well

I was discussing this with a friend who resells a lot of plants brought up from Florida, and he highly recommends using a citric acid solution to clean the pots. A couple of tablespoons per gallon is a pretty good soak for plastic or clay pots.

Stepfix,

Devil's advocate question: If I took a plastic pot from an orchid which had been tested positive for CMV/ORSV viruses, washed out any clinging debris and left it in the sun for, say 6 months, it would be safe to use with no trace of virus remaining on the pot?

CL

I have no idea - I am no scientist or lab technician.
I know someone at a Botanic Garden that buys new pots and hangers and discards old ones.

at some point - if we are lucky - we get sick and die and no medication or surgery can help.

Just saying there is nothing 100% safe.

You need to check the virus and see in what environment they can survive and thrive.

HIV apparently does not survive long outside a host. A plant virus I assume may survive in the outer environment? who knows? could
be transmitted by insects/ parasites?

anyway i think a bucket with bleach and water is a broad / safe way to sanitize.

Ray, I found your post while doing a search on how to clean plastic pots. I realize this thread is at least eight years old; does your friend still use citric acid to clean pots? Did he have good results, e.g. no transference of viruses, fungi, etc. to other orchids?

LemiShine contains citric acid; I wonder if I can use the dish detergent, laundry boost, or dishwasher booster for cleaning pots? Lemi Shine • Powerful Formulas Safer Products with Citric Extracts I have an emergency repot and my cattleya seedling (wish I realized it was a seedling :() needs to be in a previously owned smaller net pot. Or, should I get just the citric acid powder? Ball Citric Acid and Citric Acid | Hobby Lobby | 1442698

strong sunlight
 

In addition to scrubbing with hot water and soap, or citric acid solution etc., leave the pots to dry out in full direct mid-day sun.

Kay, at this point, I don't even recall who that may have been that recommended citric acid!

Personally, I typically just stick the pots in the dishwasher and use Cascade and hot water to clean them. Early on in my growing career, I didn't even bother with that!

To the best of my knowledge, I've not seen transfer of disease via the pot.

I don't have a dishwasher (I'm it:waving), so I have just chlorine bleach but could get citric acid and use it as well. Previously owned and used plastic pots and net pots were offered at our society's raffle a few months ago and I snatched them for my much smaller orchids. I need to use one of these pots very quickly for an emergency repot on a Blc., Rlc., C., whatever it is now...:dunno: Waianae Leopard "Ching Hua" seedling (quit changing the name, people!); a consequence on not changing the old media soon enough and having it go bad on me. How long would I soak plastic pots, both regular and net, in the citric acid (any member with knowledge on this can let me know) and do I rinse/soak in fresh water and how long? If using bleach, how long would you soak those same pots? Do you soak them in the rinse water or rinse until it doesn't smell like chlorine (kind of hard to do with our city water)?

I'm losing my Blc., Rlc., C., whatever it is now Waianae Leopard "Ching Hua" seedling, so whatever I need to soak the pot in needs a quick turnaround on the cleaning end. I'm posting the what's this and repot/mount in a different thread with my conditions, etc.