There are several effective ways and methods where you can sterilize pots without using bleach. You can easily pre-wash the pots before making them in use. You can also soak them in vinegar to kill the germs living on them.
Adding to this, you can disinfect the pots by using hydrogen peroxide. There is another simple way of sterilizing the pots is by baking your pots in the oven.
Why Bleach is Bad for Pot?
Bleach is a strong cleaner that can cause damage to the surface of the pot due to its chemical composition.
Further, it can cause discoloration or corrosion. Though bleach helps to kill germs and bacteria quickly yet it is not safe to use for pots. Hence, it should be completely avoided for sterilizing pots.
Pro Tip: sterilizing pots with various household items will make the job easier and simpler.
So, hang on with us on the same page to get a better idea of this topic.
Can you Sterilize Pots Without Bleach?
Yes! you can easily sterilize pots without using bleach.
There are several simple and household ways where you can sterilize pots without using bleach. They are easily available at the comfort of your home to use according to your needs and preferences.
Just make sure to use those methods in a correct and effective way to get the best result.
How to Clean Pot Before sterilizing: Step By Step Guide
I am giving you you a deep insight into the step-by-step procedure to clean a pot before sterilizing. It is simple and easy to follow and comprehend.
1.Remove loose dirt
Pots often contain loose dirt or soil over it. However, you need to clean or remove the loose dirt before using it. So, what can be done? You can hold the pot upside down to make the loose dirt fall out. You can also simply thump it or shake it to make the remaining dirt fall out.
2. Soak them in Warm Water
The next step is about soaking the pots in warm soapy water. It will help to clean the dirt and soil from the pots. You can use your regular dish soap to clean the pots. For this, you can take a big bucket where you can soak multiple pots simultaneously.
3. Scrub the surface
Next, scrub the surface of the pot to lose the excess dirt or soil by using your scrubbing tool to get the best result. Though plastic pots and wooden pots are easy to scrub, make sure to scrub gently while handling clay pots.
4. Rinse them properly
The next step involves rinsing the pots properly to ensure no soap or cleaning agent is left on them. This step should be done in a proper way to prevent your plants from getting damaged due to the cleaning composition.
5. Let them dry
The last step involved here is to let them dry for some time to soak out the water from them. You can’t plant your flower on a wet surface as it can cause dampness to the pot.
How to Sterilize Pots without Bleach: 7 Ways
It is important to sterilize a pot before planting new flowers on it. As previous planting can transmit or carry any disease that can damage the growth of the new plant.
Also, the right kind of sterilization does require effort. I have given 7 easy ways where you can sterilize a pot without using any kind of bleach to prevent any damage to the surface of the pot.
1. Sterilizing Pots with Vinegar
Vinegar acidic formulation helps to get rid of germs easily. It is one of the best methods to sterilize pots. Though vinegar can be used as a powerful sterilizing agent for all kinds of pots available in the market, it is best to be used for plastic and clay pots.
All you need to do is to prepare a mixture of 30% white vinegar and half hot water solution. Soak the pots in the solution for 15 to 20 minutes. Cure them properly in sunlight to get the desired result.
2. Sterilize pots with stronger hydrogen peroxide solution
Hydrogen peroxide solution is easily available in the market to sterilize your pot effectively. All you need to have is an empty spray bottle where you need to add hydrogen peroxide without mixing it with water. Next, use the spray bottle over the pot to completely sterilize it.
Let it sit for 20 minutes to get the best result. Now, rinse the pot with clean water. Lastly, completely dry the pot by using a clean rug or put the pot outside in the sunlight to air-dry it.
3. Sterilizing Pots in the Oven
You have heard of baking cakes in the oven but have you heard of baking pots in the oven? Yes! You can sterilize your pot by putting them in the oven. However, this is applicable for clay pots only. Since the oven generates a good amount of heat, plastic pots can get melted easily.
What you need to do is to preheat the oven to 104C which is good enough to kill germs and bacteria from the pot. Now, bake the pots for an hour to get the best result.
4. Put the Pots in the Dishwasher (clay only)
Dishwashers are good enough to kill germs and bacteria where you can adjust the heat according to your requirement. On the other hand, only clay pots can be used in a dishwasher since plastic cannot resist much heat. So, use your dishwasher detergent to clean the pots completely.
5. Leave them in sun
Sunlight serves as the best sterilizing agent for any kind of product. Be it clothes, utensils, or flower pots, you will naturally get your desired result. Sunlight helps to kill germs, bacteria, and fungus naturally.
So, leave your pots in the sun to get them sterilized. Even the WHO has stated sunlight for sterilizing water as well.
6. Sterilize it with Rubbing alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is also an effective way to sterilize pots easily. Make sure you choose an outdoor area to proceed with the process as rubbing alcohol has a strong smell that can stay in your room for a long time.
Now, take a rag and soak some amount of rubbing alcohol on it. Next, wipe down the pot from inside and outside to sterilize it completely.
7. Boiling them in Hot Water
Boiling pots in hot water are only recommended for clay pots. Plastic pots can get melted due to the fire and the heat. Not all plastics are safe to use in heat. Also, plastic pots when melted in heat generate a chemical substance known as BPA that is harmful to grow food plants.
So, place a cooking bowl with water on the stove and submerge the clay pot inside the boiling water. Now, boil the pot and take it out after 30 minutes to get the desired result.
Types of Pots and What Methods to Use
| Types of pots | Soaking in vinegar solution | Spraying Hydrogen peroxide solution | Sterilize in the oven | Boiling in Hot Water | Sterilize with rubbing alcohol | DishwasherFriendly | Sunlight Exposure |
| Clay Pots | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Plastic Pots | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Ceramic Pots | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wooden Pots | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Can you Reuse Plant Pots?
You can easily and simply recycle plant pots and reuse them for growing new plants in them. To reuse the plant pots all you need to do is to first clean the pot to remove any leftover soil, fertilizer, or dirt from the previous planting.
Next, disinfect the plant pot by using homemade ways like white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, baking them in the oven, boiling them in hot water, or simply placing it in a dishwasher. Lastly, you need to store the pots correctly to prevent any breakage, cracks, or damage from mishandling.
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Frequently Asked Questions (fAQs)
Reusing plastic plant pots involves an easy and simple procedure. You can reuse the pots for various gardening projects. First, disinfect the pots by soaking them in a solution that contains one part bleach and nine parts water for 10 minutes. Then rinse it in clear water and your pot is ready for planting new plants or flowers by adding fertilizer or other granules in it.
It involves easy and simple steps to remove black mold from terracotta pots. All you need to do is to prepare a mixture of 3% hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle.
Now, spray the solution on the outer surface of the pot where you can locate the stubborn black mold. After spraying, leave it for a few minutes to show the desired result. In a few minutes, the solution will work like magic to remove the mold. Next, wash the outer surface with clear water to get the best result.
Conclusion
So, now you have all the effective ways and methods for sterilizing the pots without the need of using bleach on them. The steps and procedures are easy to understand and comprehend to get the desired result.
Just ensure you use the right kind of pots while proceeding with the methods. Otherwise, it can cause damage, discoloration, or corrosion to the pot if mishandled. Hence, following it correctly is highly appreciated.
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