Cleaning Terra Cotta Pots

• 1). Remove everything from the pot.
  
  
• 2). Rinse out the pot with water, using the stiff brush to dislodge stubborn debris. Make a paste with baking soda and water, and use it to scrub off the hard, white crust that has formed on the outside of the pot from the salts in fertilizers.
  
  
• 3). Sterilize pots in a warm oven, at 220 degrees Fahrenheit, for an hour. Alternatively, you can make a solution of one part bleach to 10 parts water. Soak the pots in it for 30 minutes. Rinse well, letting the pots air dry outside for two days. This helps dissipate the bleach, which could harm your plants. You can use vinegar in place of bleach. An easier method is to put the bleach or vinegar solution in the dishwasher, turning it to the highest heat and running it through its cycle.
  
  Sterilization is necessary to get rid of fungi, bacteria or viruses that can damage your plants.
  
  

Winterizing Clay Pots

• 1). Take everything out of the pots. Clean them using one of the methods above. To prevent breakage, store the pots upside down or on their side in a garage, greenhouse or basement.
  
  
• 2). Clean big pots that are too heavy to move as well as you can. Wrap them in bubble wrap, making sure the top is covered so that water and snow will not accumulate, freeze and probably crack the pots.
  
  
• 3). Put large pots, that contain plants, up on pot feet or flat rocks -- this helps them drain and prevents cracking. Mass them together in a sheltered spot away from the wind. You can cover the pots with bubble wrap or burlap to protect the pots as well as the plant roots.