Quicksand Fans

Hey

I'm looking for some advice on how to maintain a pit. Me and the mrs want to have something we can use whenever we feel like it and have bought some bentonite clay to use. This is the first time we've ever really done this so we thought we'd ask people what the best way to use it is and how do you maintain it.

Does it go bad after a while?
Can it be cleaned/maintained somehow? (Primarily against bacteria/odours etc)

any other advice is welcome.

Cheers

It's anaerobic and inorganic. There's no oxygen to support bacteria growth. You might hit it with a little bleach on top now and then to inhibit green stuff but once you get it done, it's there.

Duncan is correct. The only thing organic will be what is introduced by users or that falls in from above, such as pollen. Avoid placing your pit under a tree and it ought to stay pretty clean for a long time.

thanks for the advice. If it does get contaminated somehow is there any way to clean/save it or it is pretty much a case of start over and get new clay

thanks again

[messy0506] wrote:thanks for the advice. If it does get contaminated somehow is there any way to clean/save it or it is pretty much a case of start over and get new clay

thanks again

I think that would depend on the contamination.

I think a logical follow-up question to those who have had such pits for years might be "how often have you had to 'start over' because the clay got fouled?"

just out of curiosity, is it possible to colour bentonite once its mixed? say with a food colouring or similar

gamwam wrote:just out of curiosity, is it possible to colour bentonite once its mixed? say with a food colouring or similar

Ys but it would take a great deal of coloring. I have used a half dozen bottles at a time of concrete colorant with only a slight effect.

Chimerix wrote:I think a logical follow-up question to those who have had such pits for years might be "how often have you had to 'start over' because the clay got fouled?"

zero

Fred588 wrote:

Chimerix wrote:I think a logical follow-up question to those who have had such pits for years might be "how often have you had to 'start over' because the clay got fouled?"

zero

And that's from the most used Sodium Bentonite location in the galaxy. Withstood all of nature's rage and a lot of scantily clad ladies since 2003. It's like a gravel driveway.