How to Reuse Hydro Balls｜5 Easy Steps from Cleaning to Storing

Hydro balls are an eco-friendly and budget-friendly material for gardening.　The best part? You can wash and reuse them again and again!

In this article, I’ll show you step by step how to reuse hydro balls — from removing roots and dirt, to disinfecting, drying, and finally storing them. If you follow these steps, you’ll always have clean hydro balls ready for your plants.

What Are Hydro Balls?

Hydro balls are small, round, porous balls made from baked clay. They are often used instead of soil for houseplants or hydroponic vegetables.
You might also see them called “expanded clay” or “LECA.”

When Should You Wash or Replace Them?

As a rule of thumb, give your hydro balls a wash or replace them about once every 6 months.

You should also clean them when you notice

• They look dirty
• White mold or stains on the surface

How to Reuse Hydro Balls｜5 Steps

Remove Roots and Dirt

After removing the plant from the pot, take out the roots and any trash stuck in the balls.

Wash

Put the hydro balls in a bowl with water. Rinse well while picking out the roots or small pieces of dirt.
A colander makes washing easier. But be careful — small hydro balls can get stuck in the holes.

Tip
I also tried using chopsticks (I saw this on social media). Stirring with chopsticks helped catch long roots and hidden dirt. Pretty handy!

Disinfect

You can disinfect in two ways.

How to disinfect

• Hot water method: Pour boiling water over the balls, or soak them for a few minutes.
• Boiling method: Boil them in a pot for about 30 minutes.

If you reuse hydro balls often, it’s useful to keep one pot just for this.

Dry

This step takes the most time.
If you dry them under the sun or indoors, it can take 2–3 days.

Tip
Spread them out in a wide container or on a sheet so they don’t overlap. This helps them dry faster.

Store

The most important thing is to make sure they are completely dry. If not, mold may appear later.

How to store

• If you’ll use them within 1 month: Keep in a breathable bag, in a well-ventilated place.
• If storing longer than 1 month: Put them in a sealed zip bag or airtight container with a drying agent (like silica gel).

Always store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

I’ve used this method for a while, and I’ve never had mold problems! Still, it’s a good idea to check once in a while.

How to Throw Away Hydro Balls in Japan

When hydro balls are too old and can’t be reused anymore, they are usually treated as non-burnable (incombustible) garbage in Japan.

Important
Garbage rules are different depending on the city. Always check your local city’s rules before throwing them away.

Summary

When I used to recycle soil on my small balcony, it took a lot of time, effort, and money. Plus, the amount of soil just kept increasing.

Hydro balls are much easier — you can reuse them many times, and they’re eco-friendly too. And as you see, the cleaning process is pretty simple!

Take care of your hydro balls, and enjoy clean and easy gardening in Japan🌱

Thank you for reading!

モカ

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