# Dawn vs. Palmolive as teat wash??



## nubians2 (Feb 20, 2011)

This last year was my first year milking. I read many articles that said to use Dawn original dish soap with warm water as your teat wash before milking. I did this and within a few months my hands were very dry and cracking on the tips. I talked to a couple of DR's that said it was from milking. I have bought soo many creams and lotions to stop this. I haven't milked for atleast a month and my hands are still doing the dry cracking thing. So this weekend I found an old soap dispenser that had probably Palmolive in it and my hands are almost healed. So... Is there a reason it has to be Dawn dish soap or can I use Palmolive. 

I count money at my job and am very concerned of course with who knows what getting into these cuts on my hands and causing an infection plus they hurt. It is like having paper cuts all the time.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I know how you feel. I use bleach and dawn in my udder wash plus I make soap and its really dry here. So after all that my hands are literally bleeding. Lubriderm lotion or Vitamin E lotion is the only thing that helps (my does udders dry out too so I put a bit on them too). I have always heard that Dawn is the best because of its antibacterial qualities but I don't know maybe you could use iodine instead?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I think its dawn that makes dish soap with oil of olay in it now. I got some from walmart a while back, but not for sure its dawn.


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## apachedowns (Mar 14, 2010)

For years I have used the dawn and bleach mixture as described in FiasCo Farm website and have had no udder issues...and no dry or irritated teats.


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## 4theluvofgoats (Jun 9, 2011)

I think Fiasco uses original blue Dawn because she mixes it with bleach. If you're not using bleach in your teat wash I don't see why Palmolive wouldn't be safe to use. I looked on both Palmolive & Dawn websites and they both advise not to use with bleach because of the risk of resulting toxic ammonia fumes. I do use Dawn to prewash my milk bucket before bleaching it. I use unscented cloth baby wipes for cleaning udder pre-milking and spray teats with Fightbac post-milking.


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## nubians2 (Feb 20, 2011)

No I dont use bleach. I was even beginning to wonder if I may be allergic to something. I could get some wipes instead but the dish soap is inexpensive plus I warm the water to help drop the milk


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

^^^Do you break out in little blisters and itch? Im allergic to bleach and thats what it does to me, even a small drop.


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## nubians2 (Feb 20, 2011)

No just severe drying and cracked finger tips by the nail. I am allergic to antibiotics though.


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## LoneStarChic (Jan 19, 2012)

I can't use the soap recipe..... My girls got sooo chapped, even with moisturizing.

I make my own wash now.

3 tablespoons of chlorihexidine (I buy the generic pint from Jeffers for $4, last forever!)
1 1/2-2 tablespoons of glycerin (in the skin care isle at Wal-mart by the bandaids)
Mix into 1 quart of water.

I put this in a horse spray bottle. I spray udder from all sides until dripping, wipe with clean cloth & repeat. Dry well prior to milking. 

I used to have to moisturize daily, but with this udder wash, I never *have* to, but I moisturize with a bit of coconut oil every 2 weeks or so because the girls love the udder massage  (they are spoiled) After moisturizing, I spray down with udder wash & dry so there is no oily residue for dirt to stick to.

Favorite after milking teat dip is Fight Bac (main ingredient in this is also chlorihexidine), but in a pinch, the homemade udder wash has been my teat dip when I ran out of Fight Bac.

You can adjust the glycerin up a bit if needed too.

I tried a few premade washes & dips...... Really hated the iodine one from Hoeggers.... Tried a few variations of Fiascos wash..... Different soaps, bleach, no bleach and they were all just too harsh. Been using my current wash for over a year and I love it. 

My mom uses it too, but she makes her own cloths (squares of fabric), puts them in an old baby wipe container, & pours the chlorihexidine/glycerin/water over the top...... Each cloth is used only once & she washes them all in bleach water once a week. The simplicty of baby wiped, but a lil more eco friendly


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## goattee22 (Nov 7, 2009)

Thanks for that info Crystal! The bleach/dawn teat dip was to harsh on my girls too. I will give this a try!


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Last year I used plain warm water. Maybe not the most sanitary wash, but I used it for months on two does. No mastitis and the milk was delicious. Maybe my girls are just resistant to mastitis, I don't know.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

I get a concentrated peppermint liquid soap from Trader Joe's. I use only a couple of drops in a quart of water. Seems to work really well and we (the girls and myself) do not chap.
I honestly feel that plain warm water is fine. We depend too much on *anti-bacterial* products that sometimes do more harm than good. Looks like most people here have come up with what suits them. I am sure that with some trial and error; you will as well.


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## nubians2 (Feb 20, 2011)

Yes I still have to figure this out because apparently it wasn't the dish soap either. A couple of days after I posted this two fingers split open again even with the palmolive. My husband says it is because I am petting the goats too much and it is their hair that is drying me out. I am think there is another message there but anyways....this thread was good though to see what other people had come up with than what I had been using. My girls just occasionally had a problem with dryness it was/is just me. Thank you for all your suggestions.


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## Rev144 (Jan 22, 2011)

Hey Neighbor! 
Have you ever read the ingredients on the soap bottle, then did a search online for each ingredient? What is cracking your hands could be Alcohol or Petroleum or a number of other harsh waste products that they put in the soap because they have to pay high fees to get the harsh chemicals disposed of elsewhere! If you are looking for a wonderful soap that is made from natural products, try http://www.calbenpuresoap.com/index.php they have a liquid that we use . I use it on my hair and body and it has done wonders. There are several herbs that are anti bacterial that could be used in water to disinfect.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I used to use Seventh Generation dish soap, which is natural. Might help? :shrug:


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## rkl4570 (Nov 21, 2011)

I use the udder wash from hoegger supply, i think its an iodine wash? Mom bought it a while back, it lasts for forever! its about 7 cc's per gallon i think. It doesnt chap my hands or the girls' udders.


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## Bit of Everything (Jan 28, 2011)

Okay this might be a dumb question but I'm new to milking so.... I'm not milking my doe for our use yet. So do I need to prewash her udder?? I do use a teat dip for after I milk her. I do take my hand and wipe her udder clean but since the milk goes to her kids I haven't bothered to clean her before milking. Will this hurt her at all? Should I be washing her before each milking??? I don't wanna be a bad goat mommy.


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## nubians2 (Feb 20, 2011)

No you don't have to wash her udder before you milk if it is going to the kids unless she is really dirty. I wouldn't want the dirt getting in the orifices. When I milk just to use it for my soaps I don't always wash. I also don't use a teat spray at the end but I live in the desert and have very dry land.


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## Bit of Everything (Jan 28, 2011)

All I ever wipe off is a little bit of straw and maybe some hay chafe their pen is nice and clean. And she's prissy about staying clean wont go through a mud puddle  My hubby is a former dairy cow farmer and he insisted i used teat dip afterwards, so i do. When the kids are weaned I plan on switching her to a dairy goat feed and making cheese. I can't wait!! Hubby wants to make some homemade ice cream.


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## mistydaiz (Jan 28, 2011)

Thanks Crystal for the info! 
I had a doe with some chapped teats last week, but she's doing better.
I think I might switch to your dip recipe instead...


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## LoneStarChic (Jan 19, 2012)

mistydaiz said:


> Thanks Crystal for the info!
> I had a doe with some chapped teats last week, but she's doing better.
> I think I might switch to your dip recipe instead...


I really like it, keeping it in the spray bottle makes it last a long time & you can adjust the ingredients to suit your purpose. We buy the generic chlorihexidine from Jeffers........ My mom mixes a gallon up according to the directions, then adds glycerin & pours over her home made wipes (she prefers wipes over my spray bottle/towel method). To fix chapped teats I like massaging in coconut oil on a clean udder.... Massage in for a few minutes, then I clean off the excess with my udder wash so there us no residue for hay/dirt to stick to. If udders get really dry & flaky (mine did when I used an iodine wash) I do the coconut oil massage twice a day for 2 or 3 days, then once a day for the rest of the week and by then they are butter soft again & no more flaking.  I'm happy I don't have to moisturize with my homemade udder wash, but I do once every few weeks just because they enjoy it 

A friend of mine uses the iodine wash I got from Hoeggers (same bottle, I gave it to her after using it for 2 weeks & having awful results) & she LOVES IT. I know she moisturizes udders twice per week & has never had a single problem....... Not sure why I had such awful luck with it, but it just shows there is never a one size fits all


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