# How do YOU clean your milking equipment?



## SusanP (Mar 22, 2014)

Just curious what everyone's cleaning/sanitizing routine is for their pails and milker (if you use one). I read so many different methods running the spectrum from chemical sanitizers to all natural cleaners like ACV. 

Right now I rinse in cool water, then wash/soak in very hot water and dish soap with a splash of bleach added. Hot water rinse and let air dry. 

I've never had any issues, but am getting a bit worried about milkstone as I'm starting to see a little buildup from time to time in my milker (I use a Maggidans hand milker sometimes). This lessens the suction and I know bacteria can grow on it also. So it's got me thinking maybe I need to change or add something to my cleaning routine.

What works for YOU to eliminate milkstone and ensure proper cleanliness in your equipment?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I use the dishwasher for my pails.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

To get rid of the milk stone, get an acid cleaner made for Stainless steel and glass. Some Tractor Supply stores sell it.
Never mix the acid with any other chemical- especially a chlorine or ammonia based cleaner. 

We have a bulk tank and clean it with the chlorine based cleaner, then a sanitizer and for the milk stone, the acid cleaner. 
(State law makes us clean it that way- I hate the harsh chemicals, but in order to ship milk ...)


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

We only milk 2 does and do so by hand. We rinse in cool/lukewarm water then wash with regular dishsoap and a soft brush and rinse with hot water (We don't have a dishwasher and even if we did I wouldn't be running it twice a day!) We hang them upside down on a rack to dry. We've been doing this for 3 years with no problems or build up. If we milked a few more does I might add an acid rinse...


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## SusanP (Mar 22, 2014)

It's mostly the milker I'm concerned about, as I can see a little milkstone buildup in the syringe part, so I assume there's also some inside where I can't see. The pails I sometimes put in the dishwasher but we're only two people so we don't run it every day. 

I'm in Canada where raw milk is considered a hazardous substance fit to be consumed only by those stupid enough to take the risk (ie the person who milks the goat), so I'm not constrained by laws requiring chemical cleaners as I can't sell the milk. Is there anything other than a chemical that would also work as an acid cleaner? We also have a real challenge getting useful things in our local feed store...they seem to cater mainly to backyard chicken keepers and horse people.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I wash my stainless steel buckets and food grade plastic funnels in a bleach based dairy soap and hot water. I do a hot white vinegar rinse once a week to dissolve any milkstone build up.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

With the milking machines, the commercial acid wash is really easy and effective for preventing the calcium build up. I'm not sure how well it works to remove build-up that is already there... You could, possibly contact the manufacturer to see.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

I do a vinegar wash twice a week with my regular cleaning, I use warm soapy water followed by hot bleach water, one tsp bleach per gallon of water, hang to dry. I use a milking machine, my jars go in the dishwasher, once a week they get a vinegar wash as well, no problems at all.


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## SusanP (Mar 22, 2014)

For your vinegar wash, do you soak in straight vinegar after your soapy water wash? Or a solution of vinegar in water? Is it a soak or just a swish and rinse? And just regular 5% vinegar? Sorry for all the extra questions, just trying to get a picture for what others do.


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## LGFarm01 (Jul 22, 2014)

Good question - hoping for more input. We ran a milking system this year for the first time, but we have been fighting with it some through out the year and hoping for better results next year.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I don't measure. I add a plop or 2 of white vinegar to 1/2 a bucket full of boiling water. I scrub with a stiff bristle brush and let it soak for a while (until I remember I put it to soak). I scrub it again, rinse and tip upside down to dry. In the cooler months, I set it on top of the wood stove to let it soak.


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

Lots of ways probably work well - I started with this. I use a machine with a bypass so the milk is going into a 1/2 gallon canning jar. I have ND and since my milking machine is a Babson surge milker I don't want to lift the pot (It's so heavy) and I don't have gallons of milk. I remove my hose setup and run cold water thru it till it is clear and then mix a pail of cold water w/dawn and a bit of clorox. Run that thru and then clear water again. Once a week or so I fill my pail with cascade and bit of bleach and soak the whole set up for a couple of hours. Rinse and hang up to dry with the ends of the goat claw off. You can see my set up on my webpage. Windingrvrfarm.com So far it keeps everything sparkling. I had read hot water helps to cause milk stone?? I have a long pole for gun cleaning that I can put a bit of rag on the end and work thru the lines if I think I need it. Couldn't find any brush type cleaner for the size of my lines.


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## AncientBlue (Dec 21, 2014)

Usually just hot soapy water. About once a month I'll use some bleach just to make sure I got everything and nothing is building up in there.


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## cybercat (Oct 18, 2007)

Dawn dish soap and hot water.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I'm really the worst at washing things, half the time I just rinse the bucket with plain water and let it dry :lol: Other times I rinse in cold water, wash with soap and hot water then dry. Sometimes I'm really bad and forget to even rinse the bucket, so I just wash with soap before going out and milking 
I don't ever get milk stone or anything like that though :chin:


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