How To Clean Plastic Plant Pots For Reuse

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Plant containers are reused over and over for many years. It is important to clean them before reuse as bacteria and fungi build up in them. The bacteria, mainly from fertiliser, can transfer to the next plant and infect it. Soil also contains salts that could discolour the plant containers. Cleaning plant containers properly, be they ceramic, terracotta or plastic, will greatly benefit any plant you grow in them, and ensure strong, healthy plants.

1

Gather all the containers that need cleaning. Throw away any containers with cracks, chips, or signs of weakness. Terracotta containers which are cracked or broken can be used as broken pieces at the base of plant containers to help with drainage.
2

Wear appropriate clothing. Wear protective gloves. Wearing gloves is important when cleaning plant containers because you will be handling bacteria, fungi, and bleach. You do not want bleach to irritate your skin. Wear old clothes in case the bleach solution splashes on them. Also, wear goggles to avoid getting the solution into your eyes. ^[1]

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3

Remove the debris with the stiff brush. Scrubbing off the debris removes as much loose dirt as possible from the pot. Removing this superficial dirt will accelerate the soaking process.^[2]

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1

Make the bleach and water solution. Mix 9 parts water and 1 part household bleach or detergent. Using bleach or detergent will remove bacteria and fungi that could prove problematic for the new plants.^[3]
2

Submerge the containers in the solution for 10 to 15 minutes. Check whether the residue is easy to remove. If not, soak for longer until the dirt is easy to remove. Do not be tempted to use more bleach as this can damage your containers. Let terracotta containers lie in the solution a little longer to disinfect thoroughly.^[4]
3

Wash the containers in the solution. Dip the stiff brush into the solution and gently scrub inside and outside of each container.^[5]
4

Rinse the plant containers with clean water. Rinsing the containers with clean water will remove all traces of cleaning chemicals. Make sure to rinse at least 2 times to remove any bleach residue. You don't want your new plants to absorb any chemicals.^[6]

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1

Dry thoroughly before storing. Moisture can encourage growth of bacteria or mildew, so ensure each container is dry first. Let the containers air dry in the sun.^[7]
2

Store the containers in a clean, dry place. Group by size and stack in neat piles in a clean, dry place such as a greenhouse. Containers made from breakable should, ideally, be stored individually and not stacked. All clean containers should be stored separately from dirty ones to prevent the transfer of bacteria to the clean pot.^[8]
3

Reuse the containers. Your plant containers are now ready to be filled with soil and plants.

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Question

What if I have really big pots that I can't fit into something to soak?

Addison Smith

Community Answer

You can just spray the pot out and spray as much as possible. If you fill the pot with water, it can also soak that way.

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Seedling trays should also be cleaned this way.
Use steel wool without soap to scrub off debris from terracotta pots.
You may substitute bleach for vinegar. If using vinegar, use a solution of 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar.
Scrub off the dirt onto a newspaper and use as compost.

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Things You'll Need

Household bleach or detergent
Large container or bathtub for the solution
Stiff brush
Gloves
Goggles
Old clothing

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