How to Clean Clay Flower Pots

Flower pots should be cleaned before reusing.

Clean flower pots before planting to get rid of moss, algae or other debris. Washing the pots also removes any diseases and chemical residue from previous plants or fertilizers. Clay pots are porous and soak up liquid. Chemicals can soak into the clay and contaminate or kill plants. It can also take awhile for the pots to dry because they are porous. Clay pots vary in size, from a couple inches to several feet.

Things You'll Need

• Large bucket
• Dish soap
• Water
• Scrub brush

Instructions

1. Squeeze 4 to 6 drops of dish soap into a bucket.

2. Fill the bucket three-quarters full with water.

3. Empty the pot of dirt, plants or anything else inside of it.

4. Completely submerge the flower pot in the bucket.

5. Dip the scrub brush in the water. Scrub the flower pot clean.

6. Remove the pots. Dump the soapy water out. Rinse out the bucket out with water.

7. Fill the bucket with water. Submerge the buckets. Leave the flower pots sit in the water for at least an hour, according to gardenguides.com.

8. Remove the pots. Set them out in the sun to dry. Dump the water out of the bucket.

References

• Garden Guides: How to Clean Flower Pots