How do you wash your eggs?

[math ace]

The only eggs that I get that are dirty are the onlys that a few of my hens decide to lay on the ground. . . .
The nest boxes are kept super clean and this remedies most dirty egg issues. I try REALLY REALLY hard NOT TO WASH my eggs.
If it has dried poo on it - - - I get a stick and try to scrape most of it off. Then I really only wash right before I use it .

My the way - - - I have discovered that my girls have their FAVORITE boxes and if somebody is in their FAVORITE box - - - some I my girls will accidently lay their eggs on the ground waiting for their box to free up rather than use another empty box - - - The hens are so funny

You should hear them SQUAWK when another girl is in THEIR box !

 

[Beekissed]

Like the other members, I rarely get a messy egg but they will have the occasional smudge or two. For this I just take a damp rag and rub the smudge gently. No washing of eggs here....if they are bad enough to need washed, the dogs get a snack.

 

[sdm1277]

We Always Was Ours With A Little Bit Of Dawn Dishsoap With Room Temp Water... Keeps The Kiddos Busy

 

[stoo]

I prefer not to wash my eggs. My mom usually washes them if they need it or not. I read in a book that if you wash your eggs use water warmer than the egg. My mom uses water warmer than the egg and a paper towel to scrub with and one to dry with. For the duck eggs (they are usually pretty muddy and stained) she uses a homemade spray solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water and she has baking soda in a container with holes in it to sprinkle on the eggs that are really stained and she scrubs them with the vinegar spray and baking soda with a paper towel then rinses them with water (warmer than the egg) and dries them with a clean paper towel. She goes through a lot of paper towels.

 

[Tala]

I use very fine sandpaper for slight messes, if they are really messy sometimes I have to rinse them in warmish water and rub with my fingers. I keep the "stained" ones for myself/family and only sell ones that clean up nice looking (having white layers has some downsides I guess).
I guess somebody makes a mess of all the eggs, coz some days they will come out perfectly clean, and some days they are all a mess.

but mostly it's clearish goo (extra bloom??) that gets shavings stuck to it and dries like glue requiring water to unstick it. There's never much poop.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

When it rains for a few days, I find I sometimes need to rinse eggs with the slightly warmer than egg water. My girls walk all over the place and track mud into the Hen House. Geesh. I then roll it in a small bowl of ACV I keep on the counter (for the duck eggs, that I do clean with vinegar). Apple Cidar Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and takes most stains off any egg.

I mark any washed egg with a W. My customers know if they get a W egg it was washed and won't last as long as an unwashed egg and to use them 1st. But I usually keep them for myself. But if I am short of a dozen I will use them with a reminder to my neighbor, she is the only one that would get one.

She is picking up 4 dozen tomorrow and I think there is a W egg in there. She will be using all in Potato Salad, Deviled eggs and Cakes this week, so its not an issue. Birthday BBQ Time and I am invited, bringing the pickled eggs as a surprise for Fuzzy Butt Lover. Chicken and Quail eggs.

 

[PineappleMama]

I flick off shavings... if there's poo I'll try to scrape it off try not to wash... then into the carton on the counter and a M, Tu, W, etc added just because I'm having fun tracking. I so so SO want a skelter*, but gotta wait until I've got a little spare...

Side note... if you're giving away eggs to someone who hasn't had any that weren't store bought in their lifetime be sure you tell them that you store them on the counter and that's OKAY... my MIL tossed a whole freakin' dozen because they "got warm".

*Skelter is a on the counter egg holder... first in first out... it's the cat's meow as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately they don't have them in the US that I've found... but you CAN find them (in several colors) on ebay! If I don't manage the mad money myself I'm SO asking for one of these for my B-day or Christmas come December. http://srx.main.ebayrtm.com/clk?Rtm...41318795575355895&lid=746556&m=142414&pi=4340

 

[Supernatural]

I just rinse mine off when I bring them in the house. I've never paid much attention to water temperature.

 

[TrystInn]

We have ducks, which are really messy. We use alternate water temp (i.e. if the eggs are warm, wash in cool. Eggs are cold, wash in warm) and scrub with a plastic scrubbing sponge. The chicken eggs rarely need washing here, but those dang ducks!

 

[TC_BokBok]

Couple of questions from someone who just started getting eggs this week. Thanks for your patience on these...

Look like most of you do not wash or suggest that if you "do" wash you do it in water that is warmer than the egg. I was just using regular slightly cold water so thanks for the tip here!

** I've read that you do not have to refrigerate them? Is this true? If so how long can you "not" refrigerate them before use?

** Am I losing any quality by refrigerating them?

Thanks everyone. I just want to learn how to best treat my daily presents from my girls.