[Jon Feather]

I know what the official line used to be (we were registered with MAFF when we had 350 layers).

Problem is, we occasionally get a few dirty eggs and it's a shame to waste them. 
Do you wash them?
If so, how?
And do you think there is an increased risk of upset bellies?

[Fleecewife]

We don't sell dirty eggs.  Any which need cleaning we use in the house, and wash them under a running cold tap, then dry with kitchen roll,  just before we use them.  Any that were very mucky would go to the dogs.

[landroverroy]

You've got to realise that anything that comes out of a hen's backside is never going to be sterile whether it looks clean or dirty.

As eggs have natural protection on the shell anyway, I tend not to clean them till just before I use them, and them wipe them with kitchen roll to get any loose dirt off.

Like Fleecewife, any that look really disgusting I give to the dogs also.
But if you don't have any animals to eat the dirty shelled ones, then just make sure the eggs are well cooked and you're not going to catch anything from them.

 

[SallyintNorth]

If you are going to wash eggs, use water that is warmer than the egg, otherwise you push the germs through the shell into the egg.

The other problem with washing them is that you wipe off the natural protective layer, so leave it more susceptible to nasties.  People that know, therefore, would rather buy eggs with a bit of dry muck on them than ones that look very clean but not shiny

And to reduce the incidence of dirty eggs, which you probably already know, but just in case others don't - make sure the hens have plenty of nice places to sleep so they don't sleep in and soil the nest boxes, and make sure the route to access the nest boxes is clean, to clean any mud and dirt off their legs as they approach.  And of course, empty the nest boxes promptly, and keep them clean.

[chrismahon]

Washed eggs must be refrigerated and consumed within 3 days. They cannot and must not be sold. As said you must use water warmer than the egg to avoid pushing bacteria through the shell into it.

[Marches Farmer]

I use slightly mucky eggs in the house, preferably for baking so I know they'll be thoroughly cooked.

[Stereo]

Same here, we use the dirty ones and wash just before use. I was told to use a running tap as hot as your hands can stand. Apparently the heat causes the pores in the shell to close. Never had any problems. That said we won't use anything where the shell is stained and won't come clean as that indicates to me that the muck has gone through the egg's normal protection.

I have found a good way to get clean eggs is to use a separate place for them to lay. So for my flocks I now build one house which is just roosts over deep litter which rarely needs cleaning out. Then I have designed a 'nester' which is based on a pallet on 4 legs with a box built on top. Inside are 4 plastic storage boxes with straw in and you can lift the lid to pick up eggs. I then have a tunnel of pallets leaning against each other to get into the nester and in the winter put straw etc. in there. Not only does this produce very clean eggs most of the time it also stops them them roosting in the nest boxes and if I do get a problem, I nip up after dark and put the hen back into the house. They won't go out after dark to get back to the nest. Stops broodies as well and can be moved if the ground under it gets muddy.

[Jon Feather]

Thanks peeps.  Much the same as I do (all round).  We try to keep the floor covered with clean dry straw( not easy in winter) and mostly our eggs are nice and clean.  All really dirty eggs go to the dog and any dirty-ish we wash under a running cold tap and dry with kitchen towels.

On reflection I think we will be cleaning in warm water from now on.  Good point about the transfer of nasties and one that I have mused many times.

Thanks again peeps.

[farmers wife]

If there is a touch of dirt I just wipe over with a damp kitchen towel not not getting wet - seems to work. The really dirty ones we keep or feed back to the hens.  The odd one is fed to the dog. I seem to sell as much as I can produce so I cant afford to keep chucking them so wiping is the best option for us.

[Jon Feather]

I wonder if there is anything that a washed egg can be treated with to "reinstate" its natural protection??  After all, washing pretty much every egg was common practice back in day.
 

[Stereo]

In the US I believe they wash all of them and then re-coat with a mineral oil or something.

[devonlady]

I wonder if there is anything that a washed egg can be treated with to "reinstate" its natural protection??  After all, washing pretty much every egg was common practice back in day.
 

As a girl, 50 years ago, I worked for a while on a small mixed farm. One of my jobs was to wash the eggs for sale. A bit of washing powder was swished up in a bowl of hot water and the eggs put in. They were washed off with a bit of rag, rinsed under a cold tap and left on a rack to dry.

[artscott]

I think a bit of normal dirt on the egg enhances them, that together with them all being different sizes and colours (and sometimes shapes) seems to assure my customers that they really are free range croft produced eggs.   
But we do keep the really dirty ones for our own use, I never wash these now,  The only rotten egg I have ever had was one I had washed. As long as they are kept away from moist conditions a dirty egg should keep and be just as safe as a clean one.

[northfifeduckling]

A bit different for duck eggs - nobody would touch them if they were sold as they come out of the house, however clean the house may be....I clean them just before I give them to my regulars ( no egg is more than 5 days old when passed on to somebody else) who all are eating them within a week. At home I clean them just before eating because I do not want to get muck into it when breaking the shell.