#GetSterileGetCloning
The last post was all about mother plants. If you followed those recommendations, your mother plant’s biochemistry is now tuned to produce fast-growing, pest-free growth tips—perfect for cuttings that root in 7–10 days.
Today, we shift to the next pillar of consistent success: keeping your cloning system truly sterile. There are common mistakes—and a few hidden failure points—that most growers never even think to check. This article covers the exact techniques that eliminate them for good.
Pump Housing: The Hidden Contamination Trap
Most submersible pumps share a design flaw:
a back plate that hides a small, unvented orifice, often where the power cord enters the pump.
In many cloning brands, this back plate prevents sterilizers from ever reaching that cavity. Contaminated solution slowly circulates in and out of the space, re-introducing pathogens every cycle—even when the rest of the system is spotless.
Solution:
Permanently remove the back plate.
Some are glued at two or three points and require a flat-head screwdriver, but once removed, sterilizers will finally flush that chamber at every cleaning cycle. It’s a permanent fix to a long-standing, rarely-discussed problem in hydroponic cloning systems.
Air-Stones & Air-Lines
Air pumps, air-lines, and air-stones are often overlooked—and often contaminated.
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Boiling air-stones is the only guaranteed sterilization method.
(Test-boil one if you’re unsure; some brands degrade.) -
Air-lines can be soaked in your sterilizer at the equipment dosage listed later in this article.
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Boiling airlines works, but they eventually harden over time.
If you want an upgrade, check out PermaClone’s silicone-based tubing (PermaFlow)—high-temp sterilizable, flexible, and far more resistant to degradation than vinyl lines.
Cloning Collars
Cloning collars are one of the most common contamination points—and one of the most misunderstood.
Traditional neoprene collars:
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trap debris
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don’t sterilize evenly
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and lose food-grade status after repeated oxidizer exposure
If you’re not using PermaClone collars, the safest protocol is to replace them between cycles to avoid unpredictable results. PermaClone collars were explicitly engineered to eliminate these issues—and maintain food-grade integrity through years of sterilization cycles.
Sterilizing Between Cloning Cycles (Fast, Reliable Method)
Once the improvements above are in place, you can use a simple, low-labor recipe that reliably sterilizes any cloner with minimal effort:
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With PermaClone collars installed, fill the cloner with fresh tap water.
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Add:
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3–5 mL/gal Bleach (≈60–100 ppm free chlorine)
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0.05–0.1 mL/gal concentrated dish soap (1–2 drops/gal)
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Circulate for 12 hours (overnight).
Then dump—do not rinse.
Low-dose oxidizers with long exposure outperform high-dose “shock” treatments. -
Sterilize your PermaClone collars using one of the four guaranteed methods in the PermaClone manual.
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Boil air stones (if using DWC).
Soak air-lines in the same bleach/detergent mix. -
Refill with fresh water using gloved hands, insert sterilized collars, and begin your next cycle.
This method is scalable, predictable, and eliminates most of the labor growers struggle with.
Next Up: The Kaizen of Cloning
We’ll look at how to improve workflow, reduce labor, speed up cycles, and eliminate human error.
If you ever have questions, comments, or troubleshooting needs, reach out anytime through the contact form.
Warm regards,
Michael Goldsmith
www.PermaClone.com
PS:
My articles share knowledge gained through years of using PermaClone collars and supporting thousands of growers. My goal is to help cultivators recognize PermaClone as the most reliable, longest-lasting plant collar on the market for hydroponic, DWC, and aeroponic systems.
If you’ve found value in this guide, please spread the word.
PermaClone offers collar sizes for all major cloning systems—EZ-CLONE, TurboKlone, PowerCloner, Oxyclone, Psychloner—and custom recommendations for DIY builds.
Thank you for being part of the PermaClone community!
#PermaClone #getsterilegetcloning
Updated: November 29, 2025 -- improved clarity, refreshed product references, fixed broken links, and verified current information.