I also cycle 5 in and out. When there all plugged up I wash them with baking soda, which also helps to buffer my tank from the permiated baking soda in the socks. After 4-5 soda washs I bleach them and soak them in prime.

I used to hand wash. I suck at it, if I was in the 1800's and unmarried I'd be screwed. I've started using the washing machine and they come out white, better than I could do. Only issue is that they get pretty beaten up, i ordered some cheap ones that lasted maybe 5-6 washes. I've started using the gentle wash on the machine and seems to be better and still cleans them. No detergent or bleach. I even do a quick wash with just water to make sure the soaps gone... good for washing the dog blankets in :P.

I use a little no name brand oxi clean in the washing mashine and they come out looking great.

I change mine out daily so they never get that dirty. I have 10 of them. Got them from Bulk Reef Supply - cheap there. I turn mine inside out, then when I have 8 dirty ones I chuck them in the washing machine with hot water and 1/2 cup baking soda, cold rinse. Lay them out to air dry. No soap, no bleach. I have yet to bleach mine (they are a year old) as the baking soda keeps them clean looking and smelling fresh.

For those of you using Prime to dechlorinate, Prime isn't strong enough to handle that much bleach (if you can smell the bleach, the Prime can't handle it), and if you dry the socks out completely before you use them the bleach will off-gas anyway. If you're really worried about it use Sodium thiosulphate which is like 1000 times cheaper and works 10 times better. :D

Changing it out everyday sounds a bit extreme don't you think. I mean it's awesome if you have that kind of patentience to do it everyday but for me I leave it in for 2-3 days and as soon as it overflows I change it out. I do have 10 socks that I change out but I always have to prewash it manually prior to the washing machine.
Lately I got really sick and tired of the socks I started to run the system without any, my skimmer has been picking up all the slack and it's been producing 3 times as much crude. I feel it hasn't changed anything in turns of health on the live stock so socks out and they are gonna stay out.

That time that you're spending pre-washing them is the time you would spend changing them out everyday. Feed the fish, check the top up vessel, change the sock...5 mins.

Good point. I guess that does make more sense to replace daily then pre rinsing them. :redface:

I have 6 on rotation, every 3 or 4 days they come out and a new one goes in, the dirty ones get a quick rinse in the sink and then wait untill I have enough for a load, I just run a heavy wash with prerwash cycle and a bit of bleech, they come out nice and white every time.