Cleaning Pots / Saucers, Salt buildup removal?

2com

Well-Known Member
That's what I found out too. I was kinda hoping to find acetic acid powder, because I did a test (with what I had on hand) and vinegar definitely worked the best. I found vinegar powder but it's more for flavorings and shit, and not cheap.

The citric acid products even say they're de-liming or descaling, and the descaler products ingredients list "citric acid" as the only ingredient, haha.

Thanks.
 

thumper60

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have any advice on this?

I have always just used basic dish soap / shower gel or whatever was to hand, but I have recently moved to coco and have found removing the salt buildup can be a bit of a pain in the bum sometimes!

Is there a household product that works well, or even a grow specific thing I can look into?

Also how often do you all clean this stuff, every grow?

Thanks for reading!
soap an warm water takes the salts off plastic pot Might not take the stain off but the salt is gone. I clean all my pots before reuse.
 

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
That's what I found out too. I was kinda hoping to find acetic acid powder, because I did a test (with what I had on hand) and vinegar definitely worked the best. I found vinegar powder but it's more for flavorings and shit, and not cheap.

The citric acid products even say they're de-liming or descaling, and the descaler products ingredients list "citric acid" as the only ingredient, haha.

Thanks.
I heard about someone using a little citric acid in their dishwasher each load since they had hard water. I'm gonna try it. I've got a huge bag.

I also used some to make sour gummies. It has many uses.

And I actually used it to clean the Ca buildup from a few 1/2 gal pots a month or so ago and it worked pretty damn good. Way better than a scraper.
 

2com

Well-Known Member
I heard about someone using a little citric acid in their dishwasher each load since they had hard water. I'm gonna try it. I've got a huge bag.

I also used some to make sour gummies. It has many uses.

And I actually used it to clean the Ca buildup from a few 1/2 gal pots a month or so ago and it worked pretty damn good. Way better than a scraper.
Nice.
I saw a recipe for dishwashing detergent in the reviews for the citric acid; citric acid, baking soda, and maybe a third ingredient. I don't remember the ratios.
 

Star Dog

Well-Known Member
I've got a gallon of peroxyacetic acid mixed with 25% h2o2, I don't know anything about chemistry but from what I've picked up it basically vinegar and h2o2, anyone used it or know anything about it?
 

V256.420

Well-Known Member
I use old fashioned soap and hot water with a scrubby sponge. My oldest 2 gallon pots are 7 years old. Working like new :eyesmoke:
 

2com

Well-Known Member
I just wash them in anitbac dish soap in really hot water.
Citric acid can be used to make a solution/soak, and the result is basically zero need for scrubbing. It's the physical scrubbing and scraping I wanted to avoid. For the hard, salty build up, boiling water and soap does nothing. The citric acid essentially breaks down the salt; dissolves it. A simply spray or wipe will then remove almost every single hint of it.

The stuff is very acidic.
 

2com

Well-Known Member
And for a fungicide mixture and an insecticide too. Citric acid is extremely useful.
I wanted to try and use citric acid in some light nutrient solution, as a way to try and break up some of the salt build-up on the surface of the medium, and near the drainage holes. But I couldn't find anything that suggested a rate to use it at for this.
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
I wanted to try and use citric acid in some light nutrient solution, as a way to try and break up some of the salt build-up on the surface of the medium, and near the drainage holes. But I couldn't find anything that suggested a rate to use it at for this.
Because your nutrient solution would be too acidic.
 

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
I wanted to try and use citric acid in some light nutrient solution, as a way to try and break up some of the salt build-up on the surface of the medium, and near the drainage holes. But I couldn't find anything that suggested a rate to use it at for this.
The amount of citric acid you need to adjust the PH of a nutrient solution is too little to actually dissolve anything in the media. To lower 4 gallons of my nutrient solution from around 7 to 5.8 is just about 1/4 teaspoon. If you have that much buildup, maybe look into enzymes. I sprinkle citric acid directly on the limescale in my toilet, let it sit 15 min, then it scrubs right off-that's my toilet though.
 
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