How to clean my incubator?

[Goat_Walker]

Well I have a bator that hasnt been used in a few months, and upon opening it ive noticed some shell is stuck to the mesh as well as what looks like some green or black bacteria growing - Gross.

So what can I clean my bator with so its ready for eggs? DO i need to cut the bateria out of the foam or is there something that will kill it and get rid of it without hurting future eggs?

 

[paddock36]

I use bleach spray to clean mine but it's made out of a plastic cooler. It works really good for mine.

 

[MagsC]

I use a mild bleach/dish soap solution. If there is a possibility of letting it dry in the sun after that, that will help too.

 

[kid-n-chickens]

I washed as much out of mine as possible with water to remove all the debri, then plugged the holes in the bottom with q-tips and filled it up with hot water and added a little bleach. I let it soak for 10-15 minutes, used a toothbrush on the bad spots (it didn't damage the styrofoam). wiped it down one more time in the bleach water. For the wire mesh and turner I ran enough in the tub and added bleach for them to soak in at the same time. For the top I just used the water that was in the tub and wiped it out several times. When I was done letting it soak rinsed with tap water and let it air dry. I figure if this is a safe way to sanitize dishes then it should work for incubators. Plus the water can get into the cracks and crevices of the styrofoam.

 

[Goat_Walker]

THANKS! Lol, Im getting some eggs soon so i really appriciate the advice! i'll have to clean it out the sunday.

 

[jen5680]

I never use bleach! I think it absorbs into the bator foam and then when you heat it up who knows what it does!?!?!.
I use vinager and natural soap and water. But then again i clean everything with vinager so.....????

 

[tnchickenut]

You are supposed to use either a bleach water 50/50 mix or a cleaner made just for these things.... which I HIGHLY recommend. I use "trifectant" and it is the best money I have ever spent. It is what hatcheries have to use to pass inspections... kills bacteria, mold, fungi, viruses.... it is awesome. You should use it in coops too. Anywhere a chicken was or will be. Kills E Coli, Salmonella, and a TON of other chicken diseases.
If you aren't a diehard hatcher like me, though, you may want to use a 50/50 bleach/water solution. I used to use it and there is a "bleachy" smell when you start up the incubator... but you are supposed to run it 24 hours before adding eggs anyways and the bleachiness is gone by then.
Still, for $30 for more than a years supply of trifectant... it is worth it. It depends on how many birds you have, though. I hatch back to back and am expanding to have 14 coops... so $30 is a steal!

 

[tnchickenut]

Oh and another great thing about trifectant.... it takes the crud off... easy. Instead of scrubbing the wire mesh in the bator or wiping poo off of waterers... it just sprays and rinses right off. I just love it. Not to mention it is good to know that I'm sure to be killing off all the bad viruses and bacteria so my birds are healthy!