Seriously? Those egg wipes for sale...necessary?

[KirstenColorado]

Okay, I'm a newbie, so I may be falling for this but my intuition tells me it's ridiculous: I see ads for "egg wipes" to clean the eggs that have just been laid, not fertilized eggs, just for eating/selling. Is this seriously necessary? What (if anything) do you use?
Thanks!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I buy the egg wash powder (powdered bleach basically). I used to buy Egg Washer Pro liquid.

I like clean eggs. Many don't wash their eggs but I like to.

Always refrigerate washed eggs promptly since you wash the bloom off.

Always use the warmest water you can stand to wash them because the cold water drives the germs into the egg from what I have read.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Okay, I'm a newbie, so I may be falling for this but my intuition tells me it's ridiculous: I see ads for "egg wipes" to clean the eggs that have just been laid, not fertilized eggs, just for eating/selling. Is this seriously necessary? What (if anything) do you use?
Thanks!

No - not at all necessary.
Many folks (myself included) do not wash eggs at all. Good coop/run cleanliness and nest box cleanliness will keep eggs pretty darn clean - if/when there is an egg that is a bit dirty it can be stored as is and cleaned at the time of use or cleaned and then refrigerated. Cleaning can be done with dry wiping with a cloth, spot cleaning with a damp cloth or with running water over the egg.

 

[JaceAgain]

If you plan on selling them, you'll want to wash them. Most people aren't ready for the shock value of going from pristine white store eggs to colored occasionally poopy farm eggs.

Side note, there is no difference in appearance or taste between fertilized or not eggs.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

If you plan on selling them, you'll want to wash them. Most people aren't ready for the shock value of going from pristine white store eggs to colored occasionally poopy farm eggs.

Side note, there is no difference in appearance or taste between fertilized or not eggs.

Washing is not 100% necessary even with selling eggs (within the requirements of one's state/locality with regards to eggs, washing,e tc) as "occasionally poopy" eggs are easily addressed by either keeping those for your home use and filling orders from the clean eggs or using dry cleaning methods to address the soiled areas. I am not anti-washing (even though I, personally choose not to wash), just offering alternatives to those who may wish to not wash eggs -- I have not once distributed a dirty or poopy egg to a customer.

 

[JaceAgain]

Quote:
I didn't say it was 100% necessary, I just said she'll want to. From MY experience selling them, people who don't own chickens aren't ready for the ew factor or a little dirt or poop, or even leaving them out on the counter and not keeping them in the fridge. I don't have so many chickens that I would be able to pick out the dirty and sell the clean only

I don't wash my own, but I don't sell them either.

 

[KirstenColorado]

Sorry everyone! Of course I'm going to wash them off, not a big deal....just wondering about those commercially sold "chicken egg wipes for those who want to eat them" Why on earth just not wash them myself instead of ordering the commercially sold (look like baby) wipes?

 

[lazy gardener]

Kirsten, IMO: Those wipes sell for the same reason that other "wipey" type of products sell. Convenience, pure and simple. I can wipe down my counters with soap and a rag, can even add some bleach, and have nice clean counters. Or I can buy the little pull up wipes, and will need several to do a not as effective job as my soap/water/rag combo, and in the end, I'll have those little wipes that appear to not be compost or septic system friendly, as well as the container to dispose of... and the ongoing expense of replacing them, as well. Same for the wipes that folks use on baby butts, and toilet seats, and eggs... convenience.

 

[chicksurreal]

I don't wash my eggs, even the ones that I give to people, I just let them know that they aren't washed and how to wash if they want to. The rare exception is when there might be something on one of them, but I wait until right before I use it and just run it under very warm water to get anything off that might be stuck to it.

Keeping the nesting box clean and filled with fresh material seems to work very well to keep the eggs free from getting anything on them.

ETA -

I know that there are differences of opinion on how to treat eggs, each to their own, in my opinion. But the wipe thing is expensive if you have many eggs and unnecessary imo.

We've been eating them for months with the eggs having been out on the counter unwashed for days or even a couple of weeks and have never had any problems.

 

[Jennn27]

This is funny because my husband I were having this argument the other day! He was saying I just need to get an egg brush to brush off the excess dirt/poop, but I was saying that they DO make wipes and egg wash. He said that was just a waste of money. lol I did agree with him, but it's just amusing to see we aren't the only ones that sit around and talk about our chickens and eggs. Well....WHEN we start to have eggs. That's going to be a while....