There must be a better way to wash a pool cartridge filter!

Here's a picture of the cartridge taken apart.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/8328446.jpg

I presume the water flow is up the two holes into the INSIDE of the two
pleated filter cartridges ... but WHAT is that thing sticking up in the
middle doing?

Here is a picture of me trying to wash the larger pleated filter with a
garden hose:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/8328448.jpg

And here I am doing the same to the smaller cloth filter:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/8328451.jpg

Unfortunately, even after two hours of that, the green slimy sticky gunk
is still on hundreds of the thousands of pleats:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/8328449.jpg

I tried brushing them off:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...40/8328452.jpg

But I concluded I must be doing something wrong.

Q: What is the best way to clean a pleated pool filter?

PS: I'm doing it right now ... so any and all advice is welcome!