How do you wash your eggs?

[Cowgirl71]

I'm curious about the different ways people wash their eggs. If you could please describe in detail how you wash your eggs, I'd really appreciate it.

 

[imthedude]

i only wash the ones that have a little bit of the bad stuff on them. i wet them down and scrub it off with my fingers. no soap is involved until i wash my hands after i'm done.

 

[PhilErvin]

I only wash them if they have poo on them and they usually don't. But when they do I run them under cold water and rub the poo off with my fingers. I then wash my hands and pat the eggs dry with the dish towel.

 

[2DogsFarm]

I just use a damp paper towel & that only if there are shavings stuck I can't rub off gently, mud from rainy weather or poo from "someone's" feet.

Mostly I just put the eggs in a basket on my kitchen table or egg carton if they're to be given away.

 

[gritsar]

I'm a fanatic about keeping my nestboxes clean to lessen the chance of getting dirty eggs. If I occasionally get one with a little dirt on it, it can usually be rubbed off with a dry paper towel.
If something happens to cause a really dirty, poopy egg it gets fed to the dogs.
I don't wash eggs using water until just before using them. Washing removes the bloom, a coating a hen applies to her eggs during the laying process. The bloom keeps out dirt and germs.
If you must wash an egg it's important to use warm water, approx. 20 degrees warmer than the egg itself. Using cold water causes the contents of the egg to contract, pulling dirt and germs into the interior of the egg. Warm water pushes germs up and out.
I also don't wash eggs before selling them and my customers prefer it that way. They know to wash the eggs just before using them.

 

[chickendude]

I only wash them when they have poo on them. But I use slightly warmer water than the temperature of the egg and wash with mild soap rinse and dry then refrigerate. Use slightly warmer water because colder water can force bacteria into the egg through the shell.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

I Never wash my eggs

 

[Cowgirl71]

Thanks everyone! Keep 'em comin'!

 

[Crack N' Egg]

No washing here...unless they are really really really bad. Then I just gently wipe them with a damp towel. But my customers even ask that I not wash their eggs.

 

[sheaviance1]

I haven't washed any yet, but my grandma would wash in 50/50 warm water and vinegar if they were very dirty (the vinegar helps loosen dirt and kill germs). She was an old school lady who had no running water, washed laundry in the creek, hauled water from the spring, had about an acre garden every year, and raised pigs and chickens. I figure she must have known what she was doing because she lived to a ripe old age and died happy!