Cleaning Felt Socks - pfffbt

[redfishbluefish]

I just reminded myself why I prefer mesh socks.

A local club member gave me a whole bunch of seven inch felt socks.....I believe he uses them once and then he pitches them. I figure I'll just throw them in the washing machine with a little bleach, and I'll now have FREE clean socks. Well, after two washings, they still looked nasty.




FYI, with mesh socks you simply hold them under the sink faucet while rubbing fabric to fabric, and voilà, squeaky clean.

So I went with one of my favorite cleaning tools....the power washer. If a power washer doesn't clean it, it can't be cleaned! I can only say that my kids should count their lucky stars that I didn't have a power washer when they were in diapers...they'd have the cleanest you-know-what in the neighborhood. Anyway, 3 - 4 minutes with each sock and it was white-clean again. Both these socks went through two machine washings, however the one on the right was power washed. Big difference. Only question is what the power washer does to the felt.

 

[Duke4Life]

I let mine sit in a primarily all bleach solution when they look like that for a few hours.

 

[Josh King]

I used to use the felt socks. I got so sick of cleaning them with the hose, under the sink in winter. I just stopped and now just empty my sump and vacuum it. Maybe I'll give the mesh ones a shot.

 

[revhtree]

Nice job!

 

[Duke4Life]

Power washing is an interesting idea though. Did yours put any holes in them? The 1 I have if I'm not careful will take paint off things when using.

 

[redfishbluefish]

........... Maybe I'll give the mesh ones a shot.

If you're considering mesh, take a look at my Sock-ology post HERE that discusses my experience with mesh. Try to skip over the drama posts that ended up there.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Power washing is an interesting idea though. Did yours put any holes in them? The 1 I have if I'm not careful will take paint off things when using.

To simply give your an answer.....no holes!....and no apparent change in the appearance of the felt.

Here's the details. I have a 1700 psi, 1.2 gpm, power washer (considered small/low power), with a fan tip that is kept 3 - 5 inches away from the felt, and constantly moving it back and forth. Again, no apparent change in the appearance of the felt other than they are now considerably whiter.

 

[reeftivo]

i used to use a straight nozzle off my water hose for my felt socks. I just laid them on the concrete and blasted them and they always got squeeky clean.

The pressure washer did a great job on yours but I'd think if you used that all the time, it may loosen up the weave in the fabric after a while and start letting more junk through. You may want to go the straight pressure nozzle moving forward now that the pressure washer did it's job.

I use only mesh now. Much easier and faster to clean.

 

[cromag27]

But.....do you really want to do all that every time you need to clean them? I'll stick with mesh.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I let mine sit in a primarily all bleach solution when they look like that for a few hours.

In retrospect, I'm sure the problem with my washing machine venture was insufficient bleach. I had more socks than originally told (16 socks in all.)




Bleach is "consumed" once it oxidizes the schmutz.....and these socks were loaded with schmutz. I only used about two cups in each load when I washed these.

I think next time I'll give the socks a quick pressure wash to get rid of the major schmutz on the socks, and then put them in the washing machine with bleach.

 

[cromag27]

Nice thread. I liked the first post and stayed for the drama. best post was when rev popped in and said "great thread!"

If you're considering mesh, take a look at my Sock-ology post HERE that discusses my experience with mesh. Try to skip over the drama posts that ended up there.

 

[redfishbluefish]

But.....do you really want to do all that every time you need to clean them? I'll stick with mesh.

I too am sold on mesh....but I got these for nothing....and assuming I get the normal 4-5 days I get with mesh, I have over two months of socks. Don't know how long it lasts, but I want to play with these and see what I get.

 

[cromag27]

I wouldn't be surprised if the holes/spaces in the felt socks were also smaller. you know how when you buy new clothes and put them through the washer and dryer and they're smaller? most people think its the heat from the dryer but it's actually from the agitation in the washer and the tumbling of the dryer. said action actually allows the fibers to "relax" and contract.

 

[Duke4Life]

I get 5-6 days on average with my felt 1s.

 

[mrpergo]

I change my socks out twice a week

 

[Pola0502ds]

If it works it works. My process is that i have 7 socks. When one needs replaced i take it out and take it to the laundry tub that i have a hose hooked up to. I put my thumb over the hose to create pressure like a pressure washer and clean them inside out. When 6 are dirty and after cleaning with the hose i put them in the wash machine, fill up the bleach container to the max line and wash on hot. They come out brand new everytime. Beats getting a power washer out everytime you need to use it. I would recommend getting one of those adpaters that allows you to hook up a hose to the faucet. Get the one that allows you to use the hose or the faucet as you normally would so you dont tick off the old lady by forcing her to use a hose all the time.

 

[Pola0502ds]

When cleaning socks, does anyone else worry about getting stung by something when flipping the sock inside out? I always do!

 

[chrisl10]

Hydrogen peroxide. I let it soak for about 3 -4 days then rinse in hot water then air dry . .the peroxide dissolves in the water somgnere is no chemical residue. they clean up really nice and all the gak and stains go bye bye

 

[DanConnor]

Huh. All I do with the felt socks is turn them inside out, throw em in the washing machine, and done.

 

[skim]

I wish I could find the Post I read quite a while ago on a different Forum. I will make it short, he work in a Lab and was curious to see what was being stuck in the floss of the socks via a Microscope. Most turned out to be Algae and tiny crustaceans and poop and food as expected. What he did after was check to see what was being left after cleaning via Washing Machine straight warm water. The silty stuff pretty much was washed away but the Crustaceans and Algae was there. He then added Bleach and they all came out nice and white but when he looked at they with the Microscope the Crustaceans were still there and so was the Algae cells except the where bleach. What he found out was there is no benefit to using the Bleach, in fact it can become a larger work load as you then have to Rinse them many times and then let them sit in Prime or some other Dechlorinating/Chloramine remover to get rid of the Bleach. I believe he found the Pressure washer to be the best and next was just plain Washing Machine but as for the Bleach, No Benefit to using Bleach as it Bleached the color out of the Algae cells and just looked cleaner.