Oops, out of stuff to wash udders, what else can I use before milking?

[savingdogs]

Yikes! I thought I had some more stuff in the cupboard, but I don't have any more bleach for washing the udders and milk equipment at the house today.

Do I have to feed the milk to the chickens today? I have several kinds of soap, and I could dip the milking supplies in boiling water.

I have vinegar, borax, dawn dish detergent, and probably a few more things laying around, but what else works?

 

[Javamama]

I just use baby wipes, so I'm guessing warm water with a drop of soap will do. I have seen so many udder wash recipes that I think the only wrong way is to not use anything at all

 

[Rebbetzin]

I only ever use plain warm water. I don't have a way of rinsing off "stuff" well enough. I would be afraid of getting soap and chemicals in the milk if it was still on the teat and on my hands.
I suppose if it is dried off good, it might not transfer to the milk.


I use white "bar wipe" size cotton terry towels. a 2 gal bucket of warm water, I fold the towel in 4ths so I have 8 clean surfaces to use. Using a new towel for each goat, never putting a used towel back in the clean wash water. I wash the udder and teats until they are squeekly clean. If it has rained, I might have to use two towels, if they are muddy. That has only happened once in over a year. But we don't get much rain here. Usually they are just a bit "dusty".

Then after milking spray the tips of each teat with an aerosol anti bacterial spray. And sometimes we put a moisturizer on the udders if they look a bit dry.

So far, we haven't gotten sick from any of the milk. But then I am not a germaphobe.

If I ever built my own milking shed, I would put in running water at the milk stands and a floor drain. Then I would really have super clean udders!

 

[glenolam]

Ummmm.....If I forget the baby wipes I just milk anyway and wipe off the teats with my shirt.

I think the main concern behind washing udders is causing infection. You want to be certain you didn't transfer anything from your hands to the teats which can travel up through the orafices into the udder.

But if you think about it, kids mouths aren't always 100% clean and you don't have to wipe teats each time they take a swig so if you are milking in a 'clean' environment and aren't a nasty person over all, I think you're fine.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Soapy water should do just fine. Dry her well to prevent dripping, too.
The udder wash is to prevent anything icky from falling into your milk or contaminating the stream, and from dripping down to the tip & infiltrating the orifice while its open for milking. The touch of bleach just does a better job of killing any poo-beasties (and mastitis causing beasties) that might be there.

I would boiling water sterilize your equipment if you normally use bleach to do that.

 

[savingdogs]

thanks guys!