Cleaning Used Filter Media

To more simply perform the procedures published by the Duchess County Health Department (see the link below), to clean your CleanIt filter media, we recommend you follow the following process.

https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/DBCH/Docs/Filter-Media.pdf

What You’ll Need :

Five Gallon Buckets - Qty: 2-3 buckets per media

Heavy rubber, long sleeve, rubber / latex gloves and protective eyewear

Clean Copper (100 Mesh) screens - Qty: 2 screens per media

Clean Water - Qty: 4 liters per media (per cartridge); 2 liters for cleaning and 2 liters for rinsing.

.15 cup of Dry Granular Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide - Qty 1 per 2 litres of water (to create cleaning solution)

Please Note: Be informed regarding Sodium hydroxide safe handling protocols prior to cleaning your filter media. Sodium hydroxide is toxic. Sodium hydroxide burns soft tissue and skin so always wear gloves and protective eyewear when handling sodium hydroxide or water containing sodium hydroxide. Do not inhale sodium hydroxide. Always clean media outdoors where there is plenty of fresh air.

Read this document published by the Agency of Toxic Substances and Diesease Registry:

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts178.pdf

Step 1 :

Insert each media type into a clean disinfected bucket and pour 2 liters of clean disinfected water into each bucket of media. 100% of the media should be completely submerged in cleaned, disinfected water.

Step 2:

Wear protective eyewear and gloves whenever handling sodium hydroxide / sodium hydroxide solution. Place .15 cup of granular, food grade, sodium hydroxide into 1 bucket of media (and 2 liters of water) and gently stir the contents for at least 15 minutes to completely disperse the sodium hydroxide among the media beads or granules. Repeat the process for each media. Let the media sit in the sodium hydroxide, water mixture for 2 hours.

Step 3:

Wear protective eyewear and gloves whenever handling sodium hydroxide / sodium hydroxide solution. Cover a clean empty bucket with 2 clean screens. Slowly pour 1 bucket, containing media and sodium hydroxide solution onto the screen. Be very cautious. Do not spill the solution. Spread the media over the screen and let the media sit for about 15 minutes. Repeat the process for each media. Do not dispose of the the sodium hydroxide solution (you will need this bucket of solution at step 5)

Step 4:

Remove the media via the screen and pour the media into a clean bucket (not a bucket with any sodium hydroxide or bleach residue). Pour clean water (not water containing any sodium hydroxide or bleach residue) onto the media. 100% of the media should be completely submerged in cleaned, disinfected water. Gently stir the beads or granules in the clean water solution for at least 15 minutes. Let the media sit in the clean water for 2 hours.

Step 5:

Wear protective eyewear and gloves whenever handling sodium hydroxide / sodium hydroxide solution. Place 2 clean screens on the bucket containing the waste sodium hydroxide solution (used to clean the media via step 3). Slowly pour the water and the rinsed media onto the screen. Let the media sit on the screen for water for 15 minutes. The bucket containing the sodium hydroxide solution is extremely toxic. it must be disposed of safely and according to local government regulations. The bucket must be thoroughly rinsed using clean water, until all the sodium hydroxide residue is removed, prior to the bucket being re-used.

Return to Page describing how to fill your CleanIt cartridges