Gustavo Martins
Omono
With all the fertilisation, lime sulphur, pesticides, watering etc pots start to accumulate lots of dirt, smears, stains etc. How do you guys clean yours? water alone does not seem to do it properly.
Cleaning pots
- Thread starter Gustavo Martins
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Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
The calcium on glossy pots disolves if soaked in ~15% vinegar and scrubbed with an ordinary brush. It doesn't work very well on non-glossy surfaces like unfinished feet. Brown liquid shoe polish helps well enough on feet of glossy pots to dress them up (because we can't or don't forcus on them), but is not helpful on pots that are entirely ~brown~.
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
If you're talking about cleaning a pot with a tree in it, you may not want to soak it in vinegar..... or anything for that matter. I do spot cleaning of hard water and mineral deposits with commercial grade ice machine cleaner, and a rag.
I realize not everyone can go get ice machine cleaner as easily as I can, although I do think it's available at places like Home Depot or Lowe's. Usually ice machine cleaner is mostly phosphoric acid. You could probably spot clean with vinegar as well, and get a reasonable result.....maybe just a little more elbow grease.
Edit: I'm not sure what the contents of CLR are, but I'm sure spot cleaning with a wet rag of something similar to that would be as effective as the ice machine cleaner.
I realize not everyone can go get ice machine cleaner as easily as I can, although I do think it's available at places like Home Depot or Lowe's. Usually ice machine cleaner is mostly phosphoric acid. You could probably spot clean with vinegar as well, and get a reasonable result.....maybe just a little more elbow grease.
Edit: I'm not sure what the contents of CLR are, but I'm sure spot cleaning with a wet rag of something similar to that would be as effective as the ice machine cleaner.
quietobserver
Omono
Have you tried Dawn dish soap and a mildly abrasive cotton rag? It works surprisingly well. You can also try a “scraper” that’s made of plastic and safe to use on non-stick cooking surfaces, but will also require a scrubbing after the fact.
Shinjuku
Mame
Straight vinegar is the best way to clean hard water stains on bonsai pots or any other hard surface for that matter. My wife and I use it on our glass shower wall in our bathroom, and it gets rid of the calcium deposits from hard water better than any cleaning product available.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
All of this isn't going to get the worst of the crap. You can also damage or break your pot with the scrubbing and scraping.
Best most thorough solution I've found is to bury the pot in the ground or a pile of shredded, decomposing mulch for a year or so. Takes time, but gets rid of ALL the crap without damage. Also can put some patina into the pot...
Best most thorough solution I've found is to bury the pot in the ground or a pile of shredded, decomposing mulch for a year or so. Takes time, but gets rid of ALL the crap without damage. Also can put some patina into the pot...
D
Deleted member 21616
Guest
Would you happen to have any before and after pics? Would love to see the results!
Gustavo Martins
Omono
Thanks guys for all your suggestions. I've seen a guy on youtube using WD-40 oil to clean pots and appears to do a decent job as well. I'll try some and report back my results.
I can't. I'm talking about cleaning pots with trees in it.
Mostly the unglazed ones. Glazed one do not appear to become as dirty.
I can't. I'm talking about cleaning pots with trees in it.
Mostly the unglazed ones. Glazed one do not appear to become as dirty.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Well, yeah, you can, you just have to switch out potsThanks guys for all your suggestions. I've seen a guy on youtube using WD-40 oil to clean pots and appears to do a decent job as well. I'll try some and report back my results.
I can't. I'm talking about cleaning pots with trees in it.
Seriously, if you're scrubbing and scraping and applying WD 40 and detergent to the pot, the tree in it could be collateral damage...just sayin.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
I actually did it once, because it seems everybody who suggested this had never tried it. Results here:
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2015/01/24/removing-calcium-deposits-from-pots/
D
Deleted member 21616
Guest
@Brian Van Fleet was waiting for you to chime in, but didn’t wanna tag you in this to drag you into the discussion 
Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
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Fwiw, I don't use oil to clean pots... I use oil to KEEP them clean. I'll periodically wipe my pots down with a little soapy water, then spray with the wd-40 and rub it in... both glazed and unglazed. I'll lay a towel over the soil to keep any wayward spray from hitting it. The oil doesn't remove mineral deposits but 1) hides them when in a show, and 2) prevents their build up. It also helps in building patina.
Fwiw, I've given up on removing mineral deposits from my pots. If it's not an expensive pot, I don't lose sleep over it, and if it's a nice, expensive pot, I live with it as is but oil it to prevent further build up.
Fwiw, I've given up on removing mineral deposits from my pots. If it's not an expensive pot, I don't lose sleep over it, and if it's a nice, expensive pot, I live with it as is but oil it to prevent further build up.
River's Edge
Imperial Masterpiece
That reminds me the last time this question was running through the forum i placed a pot in the compost , Sept 20, 2018, only seven months to go! I may check on it when the snow melts. It was a nice show pot that the various routines listed above made little or no difference to the calcium deposits. Looks like a little grave in the corner of the garden, all marked with flagging tape so i do not push a shovel into it while digging holes for more kitchen clippings. I watered the area well off and on up until winter.
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
I guess we've just solved the question of how archeologists can dig up antiquities and artifacts all over the world. Stuff like jugs and pottery and weapons, everything imaginable. Whole cities! All that stuff buried to clean it and they forgot where they put it! Mystery solved...
River's Edge
Imperial Masterpiece
I think the amount of humour in this situation is inversely proportional to ones age! Once the snow melts i would have remembered because of the red flagging tape that something was different in that area. next, would be remembering what and why perhaps.
Seriously, i too wanted to know if it actually works, another of those things everyone passes on but does not necessarily try out for themselves. Brian's post triggered my effort to duplicate his experience. I already understand why most do not give it a go, but really almost everything we do in bonsai takes a lot of time.
River's Edge
Imperial Masterpiece
Cleaning taking place under coverI think the amount of humour in this situation is inversely proportional to ones age! Once the snow melts i would have remembered because of the red flagging tape that something was different in that area. next, would be remembering what and why perhaps.
Seriously, i too wanted to know if it actually works, another of those things everyone passes on but does not necessarily try out for themselves. Brian's post triggered my effort to duplicate his experience. I already understand why most do not give it a go, but really almost everything we do in bonsai takes a lot of time.
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M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
It depends...
Dragging your nutsack on a dirty pot will clean the pot but will transfer the dirt to the nutsack. Which, when used on another pot, will dirty it. So, to practice safe nutsacking of pots, as well as extend the life of the nutsack, I recommend only to nutsack clean pottery. Unless, of course, you like to prepare new nutsacks by crushing nuts with a hammer. If that’s your thing, go for it!
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
I LOVE THIS POST!
NUTSACKING!!!!!!
atlarsenal
Omono
It depends on how abrasive your nutsack is!
