Leetcode 36. Valid Sudoku

public class Solution {
    public boolean isValidSudoku(char[][] board) {
        int row = board.length;
        int col = board[0].length;
        HashSet<Character> hs = new HashSet<Character>();
        // check if rows are valid
        for (int i=0; i<row; i++) {
            for (int j=0; j<col; j++)
                if (board[i][j] != '.') {
                    if (hs.contains(board[i][j])) return false;
                    hs.add(board[i][j]);
                }
            hs.clear();
        }
        hs.clear();
        // check if columns are valid
        for (int j=0; j<col; j++) {
            for (int i=0; i<row; i++)
                if (board[i][j] != '.') {
                    if (hs.contains(board[i][j])) return false;
                    hs.add(board[i][j]);
                }
            hs.clear();
        }
        hs.clear();
        // check if boxes are valid
        for (int k=0; k<9; k++) {
            int box_row = k / 3 * 3, box_col = k % 3 * 3;           // locate the start indices of a box
            for (int l=0; l<9; l++)                                 // iterate every location in a box
                if (board[box_row+l/3][box_col+l%3] != '.') {
                    if (hs.contains(board[box_row+l/3][box_col+l%3])) return false;
                    hs.add(board[box_row+l/3][box_col+l%3]);
                }
            hs.clear();
        }
        return true;
    }
}