Wood Care in the coop?

[COgirl]

Is there anything I can safely use to clean the wood (roosts, nestboxes etc...) besides diluted bleach?
Kim

 

[DrakeMaiden]

What do you mean by "safe"? Safe for the "finish" or safe, as in thoroughly disinfecting?

Soap and water would work. The thing about wood is that it is porous, so unless it has a coat of something on top of it, any bacteria that could get into the grain would supposedly never come back out. At least this is what I've heard about wooden cutting boards. Wiping them down is supposed to be sufficiently cleanly.

Bleach kills 99.9%. That remaining .1% have the option of mutating into super-bugs. Meanwhile the chlorine is persistent in the environment.

 

[COgirl]

I meant safe for the chickens and for disinfecting surfaces. But something a little more pleasant to the nose. My wood is not sealed in any way. I just go in with a stiff brush and diluted bleach water and scrub. It seems that I read or heard (just can't remember for sure) that orange oil can be used on wood surfaces in the coop, that would definately smell nicer.
Kim

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Soap and hot water kills most pathogens. I've also used borax (washing soda) as a disinfectant. It doesn't smell and it dissolves in water.

Orange oil would probably help protect the wood, like a polish. I'm not sure if it disinfects.

Here's more info

It's doubtful whether disinfectants are needed at all for most household uses. Ordinary cleanliness is sufficient to eliminate hazardous bacteria. Soap, water and rubbing (the old "wash your hands" requirement) is the best method to prevent disease.​

 

[DrakeMaiden]

If you follow that link, you will find:

Disinfecting/Deodorizing Cleaner
Add 1/2 cup of borax to 4 litres of warm water.

One hospital used this formulation for cleaning for a year. The monitoring bacteriologist reported that the solution satisfied the hospital’s germicidal requirements.​

 

[COgirl]

Thank you DrakeMaiden. I like the Borax idea, off to Wally World to get a box.
Have a great day
Kim