How To Wash & Clean Fabric Cannabis Pots For Reuse

Fabric plant pots are fantastic for growing cannabis, and many other plants. Offering superior drainage and aeration compared to ceramic or plastic pots, the cannabis plant’s roots love them! However, compared to cheaper pots, fabric pots can be a little pricey (though still not expensive).

Given that, and given our love for the environment, in this article we show you how to clean fabric pots so you can use them time and time again, rather than buying new ones for each grow.

Why bother to clean fabric plant pots?

Cleaning fabric pots, also known as smart pots, for the next growing season is a worthy endeavour. There’s one clear reason to do so: to save money! Especially if you’re growing a fair amount of cannabis plants on a regular basis, buying up a lot of pots can get expensive. So why do it more often than you have to?

Plus, the environment will thank you too. Even fabric pots take resources and energy to create, so don’t just throw them away because they’re a bit "soiled". When you see how easy it is to clean them, you’ll see that there’s really no other option.

Geotextile Fabric Pot

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When to clean your fabric pots

After one harvest, and before you plant the next! Basically, the sooner after a harvest you clean your pots, the easier it is likely to be. Plus, leaving them in stagnant soil will encourage the growth of pathogens that you just don’t want.

So, clean your pots at the first opportunity.

How to hand-wash your fabric pots

There are several methods available, such as those involving hydrogen peroxide or bleach, but below we offer one that uses baking soda and vinegar. However, if this seems like too much work to you, you can just soak them in hot water and laundry detergent, and hand-wash them like you would clothes.

Equipment

• Gardening gloves
• Large bucket
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Soft-bristled brush

Directions

1. Remove any remaining soil, plant matter, and roots by hand. Alternatively, you can use an industrial vacuum cleaner if you have one at your disposal.

2. Allow the pots to dry in the sun, then remove as much remaining soil as you can using a dry, soft brush.

3. Once they’re as clean as you can get them by hand, it’s time to add the pots to our solution. Fill a bucket with warm water and add a few tablespoons of baking soda and around 500ml of vinegar.

4. Place your fabric pots in this mixture and let soak for 24 hours. Move it around from time to time.

5. Remove the pots and rinse well with clean water.

6. If necessary, you can put them through a washing machine on a gentle cycle to fully cleanse them (be careful).

7. Once sufficiently clean, make sure to wait until your fabric pots are completely dry before using them to grow cannabis once more.

Note: you can also use baking soda or vinegar on their own—it’s not necessary to use both together.

How many times can you reuse a fabric pot?

This is a hard question to answer. Eventually, fabric containers will degrade past the point of being functional. However, you should get at least two to five growing seasons out of them, and possibly many more.

Environmental factors such as sun exposure, cold, moisture, and more can degrade your pots, so looking after them will inevitably increase their lifespan. If you’re growing outdoors, you can expect your pots to lose their lustre quicker than if growing indoors under controlled conditions. That being said, don’t let this stop you from growing in your location of choice!

Can you repair fabric plant pots?

Sometimes, when cleaning fabric pots, you might notice small tears. If these are only minor, then they can be repaired, and the pot can be used again. Be realistic, though; if the tear is big enough for soil to come pouring out the side, then it may be time to buy a new pot!

To repair, you’ll want to use a strong, waterproof glue that adheres to fabric. Glue both sides, then close with duct tape while it dries. However you do it, it’s likely to be a bodge job, but this doesn’t matter so much.

If you’re good with a sewing machine, you could even sew a patch over it!

Caring for your fabric pots and accessories

Fabric plant pots are definitely reusable, and doing so shouldn’t negatively impact plant growth, so long as you look after the pots properly.

If you need plant pots, growing accessories, cannabis seeds, or anything else necessary for growing great weed, head over to the Zamnesia store, where you’ll find pretty much everything you could ever need at affordable prices. A trove of both information and equipment, we are the destination for savvy cannabis cultivators!

Max Sargent

Max has been writing for over a decade, and has come into cannabis and psychedelic journalism in the last few years. Writing for companies such as Zamnesia, Royal Queen Seeds, Cannaconnection, Gorilla Seeds, MushMagic and more, he has experience in a broad spectrum of the industry.

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