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Author Topic: Bleach for cleaning equipment??  (Read 3109 times)

Offline Beardog

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Bleach for cleaning equipment??
« on: July 26, 2014, 07:03:16 pm »
I believe I have read here that you should never use bleach to clean hive components.   I was wondering why? I thought that it breaks down quickly into some salts and water, and rinses cleanly.  Then if you let the wooden wear dry shouldn't it be OK?

I have some brand new frames that were in storage, and now smell like mouse pee.  I would like to just dunk them in a bucket of bleach water and let them dry. 

Even if the mouse odor doesn't bother the bees, it bothers me.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Bleach for cleaning equipment??
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2014, 08:12:17 pm »
I have never heard of an issue with using bleach.  You would need to air it out well afterwards.
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Offline marktrl

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Re: Bleach for cleaning equipment??
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2014, 10:02:50 pm »
I would think leaving equipment out in the sun for a day would dissipate all the chlorine.

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Bleach for cleaning equipment??
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2014, 10:34:52 pm »
What I do for mouse odors is just leave it out in the sun with no lid and let it get rained on a few times.  I've hosed them off first, but the rain and the sun work wonders...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline jayj200

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Re: Bleach for cleaning equipment??
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2014, 09:07:38 am »
Ok
the bleach WILL make the nails rust rapidly even galvanized nails. 
want to wash some thing wash with spic & span then rinse and air dry.

Offline nella

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Re: Bleach for cleaning equipment??
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2014, 09:45:15 am »
I buy oven cleaner at the dollar store to clean queen excluders, with a red devil paint scraper scrap off the heavy material, spray on the oven cleaner, wrap it in plastic over night and hose it off the next day. The oven cleaner dissolves the propolis fairly well.