Question about cleaning the coop

[fernandez0067]

the normal pH of bleach is 6.8?

 

[MSHEN]

Diluted bleach is more alkaline. It does kill in an alkaline state but is much more effective if vinegar is added to it to drop the ph lower and make it more acidic, therefore increasing the antimicrobial strength over diluted bleach alone per the article published. So, the vinegar enhances the killing power of bleach as long as it is allowed to remain on the surface 20 minutes. I would spray it on the walls and allow it to dry- not remove it like i would cleaning waterers/feeders, etc.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

You have beautiful coop. I don't wash the inside of mine, seems a bit of overkill to me for animals that peck in the dirt all day. Although like you I clean out the shavings weekly, that & good ventilation seems to keep it nice and fresh.
What i did do though is use those cheap vinyl tiles on the floor (the 12" X 12" peel and stick from home depot). The floor just cleans right up that way and if I ever did need to wash it I wouldn't have to worry about the untreated wood. My girlfrind painted the inside of her coop thinking the p[aint would act as a kind of sealant. I think I might do that as well come summer, but I want to see how hers holds up first.

 

[fernandez0067]

Thank you, good info.

 

[Windwhistlefarm]

Info a BIG Help! Does anyone know if Thompson's watersealer is a no no? I used it on plywood floor in new coop over a year ago. Was about a month before I moved 2 month old chicks in. No Fatalities-was I just lucky?

 

[Greg Richardson]

Pressure washing does a great clean up job.
I do a lot of pressure washing on a lot of different surfaces.
With the right conditions wood drys out fast.
Yes, untreated wood also.
Do it in the morning.
Then stick fans in there on high.
Air movement is what drys things out.
Add a space heater to speed up the process.
Air movement though is what will dry it the fastest.

Depending on time of year to have it ready by night time you might need a heater.
Summer time no problem.

 

[LVVCHAP]

If you really feel that you need to pressure wash just pick a warm day with low humidity. With the door and a window open for cross ventilation it shoudl dry just fine. I have some 1x1 hardware cloth as a screen door on the inside of my entrance door. I can let the door open and they get plenty of fesh air when they are not free ranging.

 

[Lalaith]

Hey. I don't mean to be a pill on the subject, but I went back and did the math on the whole bleach/vinegar subject. I think the byproducts of sodium hypochlorite plus acetic acid are chlorine gas and water. While the water won't do you much harm (or good), the chlorine gas can be problematic. As in fatal.

I think the rxn would go something like:
2NaOCl + 2CH3COOH --> Cl2 (g) + 2CH3COONa + H2O + O2

I don't mean to be rude, but acid-base chemistry is probably not the best subject for bulletin board experimentation. It's dangerous. I did my undergrad in biochem and I still can't predict 100% what will happen when I mix "A" and "B." Aside from human error, there are just too many things that can go wrong.

 

[Lalaith]

Oops. wait- the stoichiometry is off. It would have to be 1/2 O2. My bad.

 

[Want2BFarmer]

That coop looks very nice!!! I am a contractor so I see what happens when people use regular lumber instead of pressure treated outside. You should be fine because your shed will be able to breath "air is moving around it. You will run into a roting problem when the pine comes in contact with the ground and is kept moist due to the ground. I would suggest you go to the paint store and buy a product called wood restorer. It is kinda like a beach that people use when they strip their decks and re-stain them. This product should be scrubed on to the wood and washed off with a hose (make sure you wear gloves on old clothing). This product will prep the would for staining and give it more of a uniform finish. I would then allow the coop to dry for a few days. Finally I would apply a stain/sealer product like you would use on the deck. Make sure that you get the sealer everywhere and you should be good. How did you cut the wood for the shed? Do you own a lumber mill?......can you send me some more pictures of the coop closer op? Thanks