Things You'll Need:
- Gardening gloves
- Stiff brush
- Butter knife
- Household bleach
- Dish detergent
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Step 1
Remove the old soil from the plant pot. Throw out the old soil and do not reuse it for new plantings. Simply Planters recommends wearing gardening gloves when emptying the soil from pots kept outside, as spiders may have nested in the pots.
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Step 2
Scrub away any soil or mineral deposits that stick to the inside of the pot using a stiff brush or a butter knife.
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Step 3
Mix a solution of one part household bleach to nine parts water in a container that is larger than the plant pot. Place a pot in the bleach solution and soak it for a minimum of ten minutes. Do not place fiberglass pots in a bleach solution.
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Step 4
Mix a solution of dish detergent and water. Move the pot from the bleach solution to the soapy solution.
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Step 5
Use a water hose and spray the pot thoroughly to remove the detergent solution.
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Step 6
Place the cleaned clay pot in a container of fresh water until you're ready to use it. According to the Iowa State University Horticulture Extension, dry clay pots wick moisture away from newly-potted plants.
