What is the best way to wash rocks?

[Ax01]

Ok, this is a dumb question but i dug up a ton of rocks and they are in various stages of being coated in dirt from being unearthed. From a light dusting to being in full or partial dirt shells. So what is the best way to rinse/wash these rocks? so that i may use them in my pond build. i don't think i can power/pressure wash them without them being scattered and flying all over the place. I would rather not brush and scrub them all in water tho.

What is your method?

Here's what some of the rocks that i dug up look like. i've been holding most of them in plastic planters. they range from river rock pebbles size to larger cobble.

 

[j.w]

Well let's see, if you have a large area of pavement you could dump them all out by size and maybe surround the whole lot w/ beams of wood to keep them from scattering or if you have a cheap plastic kiddy pool you could put a bunch in and wash and keep doing that till all clean. Maybe soak them good first so the dirt softens up. Maybe just use a strong nozzle and not a power wash. One of these attached to a hose works for me.

 

[Mmathis]

I just rinse mine off with a spray of water. The ones that are really caked on, I will put them in a bucket if they are small enough.

 

[brokensword]

the best way is to have someone else wash them...spent countless hours washing pea gravel...a nightmare that continues to haunt, obviously...

 

[jgrandmont]

If I need to clean anything, I just spray it with the garden hose. Generally, that's only the pond stone I buy at Lowe's. Those bags always seem to have a lot of dirt mixed in with the stones.