Removing sand and debris from raw clay is part of my daily routine now.  This is such a soothing chore. I become so in touch with my clay, corny I know, but it's true. Also, since this chore takes about 15-20 minutes, I let my mind wander and I come up with some of my best creative ideas. I plan my day, I solve problems, it's amazing what your mind can do when it is forced to sit and think. This is the first thing I do when I walk into my studio, it prepares both me and my clay for the wonderful studio work ahead of me. For every gallon of raw clay sludge I clean, I get about 2 cups of sand. Not one to waste a single thing, this sand gets dried, cleaned and used. We recently purchased a sand blaster to strip the paint off of our many windows. This sand will definitely come in handy.