Best way to wash gravel?

[Guest]

Yes, I know it sounds daft, but when we moved in we put a fence across the drive and the back half I want to lay down a lawn and re-use the gravel for a parking space out front and paths in the veg patch. However the gravel has been down so long there is loads of muck and debris built up in it. I know it will need washing but in large volumes I feel I would need to rig something up and already my back aches just thinking about it.

Just wondered if any of you lovely grapes had some super duper suggestions to help - apart from get someone else to do it

[Potstubsdustbins]

Now there's one to thing on.

What kind of debris is it? For instance would it float off if you put the gravel in a shallow container with a hosepipe running water through it. Is it a moss which a 50/50 bleach and water solution would remove?

[Snow]

I have had this problem. Mine was dust rather then debris but perhaps still useful. You can put it all on a slope and soak it with water, and the water will carry a lot of it away (some will be on the bottom layer still). For small amounts, put a load in some netting (several layers) and dunk it in a large container of water.
Perhaps the best option is to put a thin 'cleanish' layer down then buy some new for a top layer?

[Nicos]

Do you know anyone with a cement mixer?
You could put a few shovels into one with loads of water , give it a few minutes of being rolled about and then scoop it out with a garden soil sieve...one with large metal mesh...or make a scoop from several layers of thick chicken wire???
You'd need to change the water every so often,but that should wash large volumes of it.

[Sarico]

Well what I did with my aquarium gravel I put it in a large container fill half with water and then I put the pressure washer wand in. The Water will mix the gravel around but do it a bit t the time otherwise the pruessure will blow away some gravel when the bucket fill up with water.

[Guest]

It is mainly just sand and soil that has built up over time with a fair few weeds. There are various small car components and other bizarre items but I am not overly fussed about them.

I like the cement mixer idea. I think my Dad will think I have gone completely doolally if I tell him why I want it.

I think I will rig up a mesh slope rack jobby. Will try and experiment today.

Thank you all

[Kristen]

If you can find a mesh of right size that will retain the stones then putting a shovel full onto the mesh and watering with a hose will wash the muck off, you could then tip the stones that remain into a barrow. Perhaps make a frame for the mesh?

If the quantity is small enough you could use a sieve, but even my large sieves only hold a couple of litres of material.

I use this method, with a sieve , to clean gravel that I bring in off the drive to put around pots that I put in fancy containers in the house (to keep them stable, and raise the bottom of the pot off the container pot to stop the plant sitting in its own water), so I was thinking of the same approach to clean gravel

[Tomatoe]

I do mine with a hose pipe and my compost sieve, if that helps?

[JimmyRay]

Eyy! How did it go? I use the same technique as Tomatoe - hose and sieve. And it works pretty well!

[skeggijon]

Its a bit time consuming, but tweezers and a toothbrush does a brilliant job

[Guest]

Its a bit time consuming, but tweezers and a toothbrush does a brilliant job

I know I am not right in the head but that is from trying to do too much not I have nothing to do . Although you should use a toothpick for those really fiddly dirt clogged dimples not tweezer and cottonbuds are good as well

Eyy! How did it go? I use the same technique as Tomatoe - hose and sieve. And it works pretty well!

I haven't done it yet, lots of other jobs have jumped the que