Cleaning milking equipment

[ksalvagno]

For hand milking and just personal use, how are you cleaning the containers and strainers used. I just read how a grade A dairy does it and it just seems like so much to do, not to mention the time it would take to do that twice a day.

I only have to run the dishwasher about once a week. So what would be the best way to go about "properly" cleaning stuff without going overboard and driving yourself crazy?

 

[freemotion]

Once you start milking, you just might be running that dishwasher more often. That is how I sterilize my canning jars that I milk into, because it seems so much easier than sterilizing a pail twice a day. I also use it to sterilize the jars I store the milk in, and my funnels. I have a bunch of funnels now!

I sterilize my filter with a mild bleach solution, made up fresh each milking. I make up a batch for washing the udder and dipping teats, too, and put it into a glass peanut butter jar with a small cup for dipping and a small cloth for udder washing. I make up a separate batch for pouring over my filter. It is one cup of warm water, 1/2 Tbsp of clorox or purex bleach (not the cheap brands, which are inconsitant in strenght from batch to batch) and a drop of dish soap or a squirt from the foaming soap dispenser, which is filled with watered down dishsoap.

That's it. Easy, quick, done!

 

[lupinfarm]

I wonder if Virkon would work. I'm kind of obsessed with this stuff lately lol. It's used in vet clinics and its a disinfectant made to be used on hospital equipment, vet equipment/offices, animal buildings, etc.

I would also say a nice hot run in the dishwasher would work well enough. If you have one We haven't got a dishwasher, though mum is hoping for one when we do the kitchen. Would be helpful for when we have milking goats.

 

[Roll farms]

I just wash the stuff in HOT soapy water (by hand) and rinse in mild bleach solution....If it's good enough for the restaraunts I used to work at years ago....it's good enough for me.

One trick I've learned is rinse everything in lukewarm water before washing it, hot water 'cooks' milk and makes it stick, cold water will make it clog the filter openings.

I bought some milkstone remover years ago and have never needed to use it.

I can understand why a dairy HAS to do all that, but...seems like an awful lot of extra trouble....we haven't died of ptomaine yet....

 

[michickenwrangler]

Wash with soap and water, rinse with bleach water, use a dedicated brush to reach to the bottom of 1/2 gal. glass bottles.

DH wants to know why I don't get an automatic milker. I tell him it's because I only have 1 goat milking

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

One trick I've learned is rinse everything in lukewarm water before washing it, hot water 'cooks' milk and makes it stick, cold water will make it clog the filter openings.

this is what i was going to say also.

and i just surrender part of the counter top to milking activities.....

i use:

* warm water rinse to get milk residue off
* splash of bleach + squirt of dawn + hot water
* scrub with paper towel (not a dish scrubbie)
* rinse with hot hot hot water
* turn everything upside down on a cookie cooling rack over a dishtowel to dry

repeat

once you get into the rhythm it will become automatic. the only thing i dont like is having to give up the counter space.. but you get used to it.

 

[ksalvagno]

Thanks.

While we are talking about this, what do you use to wash udders and dip teats after milking?

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Thanks.

While we are talking about this, what do you use to wash udders and dip teats after milking?

I use regular dish soap and warm water to wash the udder, strip the teats into a cup, milk, then follow up with the teat dip from Hoegger.

 

[MrsCountryChick]

I wash udders & teats with wipes as recommended in Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats (Great Book ). Got mine at TSC when I was researching Dairy goats for the year before we got them, http://www.tractorsupply.com/storey-s-guide-to-raising-dairy-goats-book--2290033 It's even on sale! I use cool soapy dish water as recommended in the book to wash glass jars I milk into & store into, along with my filters, then I spray them with Clorox Anywhere Bleach (kills 99.9% of germs)...I spray them right before I pack my "milk bag" before leaving for the barn. It has to sit for 2minutes to fullly sterilize, so it's not a long process. I spray both sides of my filters for full coverage. http://www.clorox.com/products/overview.php?prod_id=ahsds

So you did get the full sized dairy doe in milk you mentioned on another post? Congratulations! I LOVE Homemade Yogurt from my goats milk. I just make it regularly with no additives like powdered milk & strain it after it's made into several layers of cheesecloth or muslin cloth to let the whey drain so it becomes thick like store yogurt. I like to make smoothies of my homemade yogurt & cut fruit blended in my Magic Bullet Blender, or made with some of my homemade canned preserves. Even Hubby likes it & he notoriously Hates yogurt! I also strain the yogurt for the consistancy of sour cream & use it in recipes as a substitute for sour cream with great results, my teenager Loves it in my Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe I make for him (substituted for sour cream). I also strained it longer to become thicker like store bought cream cheese & used it in my homemade cheesecake recipe with Great results..... Hubby says he likes it better than store bought cream cheese because it makes a smoother cheesecake without being too dense. & if my Notoriously picky Hubby can eat these items they Must be good.