How To Clean Your Bonsai Pots

Bonsai pots are constantly exposed to the elements while also being filled with soil, so it is no surprise that they can end up getting quite dirty.

While a dirty pot will not effects its performance, it can look unsightly and since bonsai is a form of art and we do want our trees to look good, it means we need to clean out pots every so often.

The process is really simple and isn’t much different to cleaning anything else made from ceramic, but there are a few nuances, which I will go through below.   

Makes Sure The Tree Is Not In The Pot

Before you start cleaning your pot, make sure the tree is not in the pot. You can give your pot a quick wipe down while the tree is in it …but if you want to give the pot a proper deep clean, then it should not have a tree in it.

This means your window of opportunity for deep cleaning your pot can be pretty narrow. If the pot is just sitting on a shelf, you can clean it at any point. However, if you are using the pot, you can only clean it when you are repotting the tree, and it has been removed.

If you are going to clean the pot while repotting, then remove the tree and do not disturb the roots. Take it out and set it to the side. The tree will be fine to sit there with a solid root ball while you go away and clean the pot

If you forget to do this, it’s not ideal, but you can work around it. If you have been raking out the soil and realised you want to clean the pot, place the roots in a bowl of water. This will keep them moist, obviously, so you can go and clean your pot and the tree will not dry out.

The tree will be fine like this for a few hours, but the less time you can leave it like this the better … so try and remember to clean the pot before you start raking out the soil.

Glazed Pots Will Clean Up Easier

I think it is also important to note that you will get better results with a glazed pot. You are going to get a glazed pot to pretty much look brand new again, where as an unglazed pot might still look a little dull after.

This happens as non-glazed pots are generally more porous, so the dirt and grime can really get absorbed into the pot and basically it is impossible to remove it.    

This isn’t a problem, it just means your non-glazed pot will have a bit of a patina, which can actually be sought after and shows the pot is aged and has a history behind it.

Initial Cleaning Of Your Bonsai Pot

The initial cleaning is going to remove the bulk of the dirt and grime and even some stains. Sometimes this may be enough and all you need to do, it really depends how dirty your pot is.

This process is extremely simple and you just need to treat your pot like any other ceramic you may own and simply wash it warm water with some dish soap. You can wash both the inside and outside of the pot.

You can use a non-abrasive brush or cloth to help knock off any dirt …do not use a wire brush or anything like that, you need to use something soft like an old toothbrush.

Once you have washed it and got as much of the dirt off, then you need to rinse it thoroughly. This is extremely important as clay pots can be slightly porous so any chemicals you use (in the soap) can get inside the pot and leak out later on when the tree is back in the pot, so make sure everything is rinsed out properly.

If you want to be extra sure you can leave the pot to soak in clean water for a while to make sure everything is flushed out.

Once this is done you can then let your pot dry and evaluate it. It is easier to see how clean it is when it is dry.

If is clean enough, then that’s all you need to do. However, you may find there are still some stubborn stains, which we will deal with below.   

Getting Rid Of The White and Stubborn Stains On Your Bonsai Pot

If you have really stubborn stains, then you will need to take the cleaning to the next level.

Usually these stains are white and are caused by mineral deposits that where in your water and where left behind when the water evaporated.

I have written a separate article on how to deal with this white crust, which you can read – What Is The White Crust On My Bonsai Pots?

However, I will quickly skim through the process.

Basically you need to soak the pot in vinegar. This will dissolve the crust and you will be able to easily wipe the stains off after this.

Once you have done this you will need to rinse the pot off. I mentioned doing this above, as its still important to do this after using dish soap …dish soap isn’t really going to cause your tree too much bother …but vinegar will!

You really need to make sure there is no trace of vinegar left on the pot, so you really need to give a good soak and make sure it is fully flushed out before you use the pot again.

You could go straight to this step and you will probably find it alone will clean your pots well enough. You could also use the vinegar first, and then wash it again afterwards using dish soap.

Personally I like to use the dish soap first, as it gets the easy stuff off (and any oil) then the vinegar can focus on the really tough stains, but you can really do it in any order you feel is right for you.

Oiling A Bonsai Pot

If you want to take your pot to the next level then you should oil it. The previous steps are more about the cleaning, where as the oiling is like the polish.

You can really make a pot look amazing by oiling it; it can really make it pop and give it a nice shine.

This is commonly done before a show, so that the pot is in its best condition to be displayed. You can also do this at anytime throughout the year as you can even do it when the tree is in the pot. (although If your pot is really dirty, it wont work)

Oiling your pot is really simple, you just need to put a small amount of oil on a cloth, and then give it a light bushing over the pot. This will give the outside of the pot a light coating of oil that you can then buff with a clean off so it shines up really nicely.

You can do this with both a glazed and non glazed pot.

You will also find that any oil works, mineral oil is the one that is most popular, but any sort of natural oil will be fine. This can be anything like vegetable oil or olive oil or really any other oil you have in the kitchen.

You could use wd-40 and other oils like this, even silicon spray …but I would say keep it more natural with the vegetable/nut oils.

What Does The Oil Do To Your Pot?

Apart from making the pot shiny and amazing looking, the oil can actually serve a purpose. The oil will create a thin film on the outside of the pot, which can actually help protect it.

This thin layer can help reduce the build up of minerals and stop you getting that white crust on the pots, so your pots will stay cleaner for longer.

You will have probably noticed I am not so great at this and forget to do it, so my pots often look dreadful. However, those who are a little more organised will oil their pots every now and again throughout the season. Their pots will just look cleaner for longer and they will have less staining overall.

Conclusion

Hopefully now you can see that cleaning bonsai pots is pretty easy. Give it a quick wash in soapy water, soak it in vinegar if it is stained, then polish it up with some oil.

Bonsai pots are easy to look after and even if you do this once a year your pots will look great for many years. 

(You can read more – How To Select A Bonsai Pot For Your Tree)