Any suggestions re unsticking plastic flower pots.

Agree in an ideal world but these pots were donated to me already stacked together. I have WD 40 with a funny wee narrow nozzle thing. Do you spray on neat?

 

Hi,

Thanks for asking @hailbopp yes I spray WD40 as it comes; I also have spray cans with the small bore tube which are handy where only a drop is required. It's very effective for removing stickers.

Kind regards, Col.

 

I mostly usethose 10 ltr supermarket buckets now and found the best way to keep them separate from each other when stacked is to drop a milk bottle plastic lid between them.
buc ket lid bucket lid repeat.

 

That sounds a great idea if I get more donated not already stacked ( glued) together, thanks @WeeTam.

 

I don't know if this is true, but i think someone say to me to sink them into water and let stand for a while to get the water going beween each bucket, Don't know if it works

 

Thanks @Jiffy. I have tried this in the past with pretty so so results to be honest, but thank you for trying to help.

 

Trivia: WD40 is named WD40 because they were looking for a spray that would displace water from a surface and this was the 40 th recipe they had tested.

At various times I think I've tried most of the methods mentioned so far with varying success. No one method is the solution to all sticking pots.
If there are holes in the base I put something round through a hole aligned with a solid bit of the next pot and then given a sharp tap.
I have also pliers or mole grips to get a better grip.
Sometimes very smooth pots stick together because they are wet on the outside when stacked, the thin film of water between the pots acts almost like an adhesive and is difficult to break it's grip. Unfortunately this film doesn't dry out.

 

I agree, if they are wet, a bit like trying to part two panes of glass that have moisture between them, almost impossible.

I still think that with the pots with no holes a form of suction takes over, a bit like a partial vacuum forming between the pots.

 

May I ask how people get hold of the 10 litre pots from supermarkets? Do you just walk in and ask?

 

They often sell them taped together in batches of around 6 for stupid prices.
But I think I've only seen them in spring when the gardening bit gets going.

 

This might be useful? Search results for: '10l pots'
I used to use LBS a lot.

 

I often have a small stack of pots in a bucket, which then fills with rainwater. I can't say I've found them easier to get apart than any other method. It's often just brute strength and lots of wiggling and jiggling that gets it done. The wiggling and jiggling is the pots, not me....

I got some of the florists buckets many years ago in Morrisons. I think they were ok to separate when all clean, dry and shiny. Not so easy if they're jammed together and wetter, as @NigelJ says. They're really useful but not as sturdy as other types.

 

I found the black Morrisons buckets quite solid and a really handy size (and incredibly cheap). Unfortunately they started using white buckets and they get brittle and snap very easily.

 

I do use them, mainly because they are cheap
Biggest problem I have with them is they are quite tall for the diameter so tend to be less stable than a normal pot and blow over more easily.

Not seen white ones, but its probably to do with recycling.

 

Thanks for the replies folks.