I just put mine in a tote and wash it with the hose, stirring it up until it is mostly clean. It is virtually impossible to get all of the fine particles out. You can get a lot of them out though. I do one bag at a time, it is more efficient at cleaning that way. If the tank is cloudy, mine was a few months ago, I set up a Magnum Hang On Tank filter with a lot of floss in it, tank was crystal clear the next morning.