How to clean plastic pots to reuse?

[Wrebbitrocks]

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

[stefpix]

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...

[Wrebbitrocks]

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

[Orchidreamer]

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).

[stefpix]

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

[Ray]

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.

[Cym Ladye]

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

[stefpix]

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.

[SpclK]

Originally Posted by Ray

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.

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

[Fran20]

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.