Are you wanting to clean them before your cure the Sweet taters?? If so, then DON'T.
Let them cure with all the dirt on them. The skins are so thin before curing that you will ruin the sweet potatos.

As the taters cure their skin thickens up.
After curing you can soak them in water and a few ''glugs'' of vinegar in your sink and use a soft scrub brush.

I don't want all of that sand to go down the drain. I dug them up about 2 weeks ago. The ones I cleaned 2 weeks ago look fine skin wise. I'm starting to run out of warm days to clean them outside.

I clean my "regular" potatoes by laying them on the lawn and spraying them with the hose nozzle. I have a nozzle with a rotating head and find the strongest jet pattern held close by cleans the potatoes very well....and mine are caked with clay. Flip them over a few times to get all sides clean. I think this would work fine on sweet potatoes, too.

I've also used the jet spray to clean under my fingernails! Sometimes it takes a bit of repositioning the nozzle to get just the right angle, but it does a pretty good job.

Many recommend not washing until you are use the potatoes...both regular and sweet potatoes. I've found that as long as I spread mine out and let them dry for a few weeks, they will store for several months. I think with sweet potatoes there are some other "curing" steps...but I've never harvested enough sweet potatoes to store for any length of time. I can't imagine storing my regular potatoes caked in clay soil.

Here is a link that might be useful: spray nozzle

If the skins are thin it might be better to use a softer spray pattern than I just suggested and not concern yourself with getting them completely clean. Just knock off the bulk of the sand with the softer pattern.

I thought of spraying them off. I think I will try that tomorrow. I scrubbed my small crop of 27 sweet potatoes last year and it did no harm.

I'm with Nature Girl. If you don't want to pick up the potatoes but once, put them in a plastic laundry basket, about a dozen at a time, and spray them inside the basket.

Spray them with a hose outside.

I like your idea, Plantus. I do owe an apology tho. I didn't scrub my potatoes last year. I must have had a mind cramp. I laid in bed last night and I was remembering all the soil I left on them.

I have been growing sweet potatoes for 12 years. I dig up the potatoes with a 4 prong earth fork, place them in a wheel barrow and wash with the water hose spray nozzle
and place each one in a bushel basket to cure. I harvest
about 20 to 22 bushels each fall. Works for me.

That's alot of sweet potatoes, hotthill. I did that with the first batch I dug and then people told me I should do that. I've left the dirt on and dry brushed them and them wet brushed them to get the dirt off now. How many did you plant to get such a yield?

zackey, Each year I plant 2 rows of sweet potatoes in my garden. Each row is 184 ft. long. I plant 220 plants in each
row, plants are 10 in. apart. I prepare a bed about 12 to 15 in. high, and flatten the top to about 6 in. wide for a soaker hose and then set out my plants. I keep the vines trimmed
about 2 ft. from the roots. This makes the growth go to the
potatoes instead of the vines. I plant Covington, Hernandez, Carolina Ruby and White Hayman potatoes.

Hotthill, what do you do with all of your sweet potatoes? I have no clue what variety mine were. They were sprouts from the previous crop. I already have a mama sweet potato picked out for next years crops. She's starting to sprout already!

Hotthill, what do you do with all of your sweet potatoes? I have no clue what variety mine were. They were sprouts from the previous crop. I already have a mama sweet potato picked out for next years crops. She's starting to sprout already!

ZACKEY, I give potatoes to my family and all my friends.
You should get some COVINGTON sweet potato slips
for next year. Here in North East N. C. I try to get my slips
planted by the 1st. week of MAY. This Covington is the
type that all the commercial growers here in N. C. plant.
They are very productive, look pretty in the grocery store and they taste great. That's what its all about for the big
growers. I always have extra slips left over if I can help.

Thanks for the info, but I need to use what I have. I have no complaints about how well they grow or the flavor. We are under Scrimp and Save rules until we can get our van fixed and our loan paid off.