Washing filter socks in washing machine?

[Reef Puncher]

the real answer is ditch the filter socks. get this and use cheap filter floss you can throw away once every 4 days.

 

[gbroadbridge]

the real answer is ditch the filter socks. get this and use cheap filter floss you can throw away once every 4 days.

I know which is more environmentally friendly

 

[twentyleagues]

I still use socks on some of my fresh tanks just to much detritus to not. I dont use and have not used socks on my reef tanks since 2005. Now I was out of the hobby from 2010-2022. I do wash the socks I use in cold water with bleach and they sit in a tote with water and some bleach before I wash them. 2 wash cycles 1 with bleach 1 without let air dry for 24hrs or longer usually longer as I change them every 3-4 days. Same thing I did when I used them on my reef tanks no issues. I wash socks about every 5-6 weeks I have 12 7" and 24 4".

Chlorine will evaporate with in 24hrs or less no need to use prime or another dechlor unless you are putting the socks right back in action.

 

[Imrahilwjz]

My wife says if they are gunky she scrubs them in the laundry sink with a brush, just to loosen it up. Then she turns them inside out and runs them through the washing machine on the hot water setting. I will admit my bio-load is relatively low.

 

[gregrock68]

Curious how many folks do this. I recently (lol) learned you can reuse filter socks. I read on BRS that you can wash them in your washing machine with some bleach as long as you run a rinse cycle prior to wash any potential detergent out of the drum. That being said, it still makes me nervous as hell that some detergent will get into the sock and ultimately the aquarium. Does anyone use this method? Any issues? Just 1 rinse cycle or multiple?

I was using filter socks on my 40 AIO but was tired of washing them. I switched over to two layers of poly filter which work is the same function as the filter sock but you also get the benefit of the polyfill to removing other toxins, metals or anything else. I've even rinsed them to clean them so I could get a second usage. I've noticed an improvement with the poly filters, but just my two cents