Old Method of Cleaning Things?

[Larry]

 I have an excess of the "plastic" in hive feeders that are dirty. Wondering if someone has a way of cleaning them? Some have comb in them and the exterior is dirty, etc. I hear of boiling with lye, etc. Recipes? Any suggestions? Thanks

[Perry]

That's a good question. I don't know about boiling them in anything, I would think they would warp badly.
I might be inclined to take them to a car wash and blast them with a pressure washer.

[Zulu]

Larry, as a home brewer I use a lot of Oxyclean to clean heavy crud, use hot water and full scoop per about 3 gallons, let it sit for hours or even overnight.

If you want an even stronger solution, mix 1/3 TSP substitute with 2/3 Oxy, and same as above.

It will lift hard burnt items off a pot , like burnt Rice even.

Cheap and effective for most things, and probably worth a try.

[BoilerJim]

Wow, Zulu, you have sold me. I am going to buy me some Oxyclean. Have you ever thought about doing Oxyclean commercials. I think you'd blow the current fella on TV out of the water. 

[Zulu]

Wow, Zulu, you have sold me. I am going to buy me some Oxyclean. Have you ever thought about doing Oxyclean commercials. I think you'd blow the current fella on TV out of the water. 

Lol, not in my southern accent !!!   Larry will know what I mean.

[Slowmodem]

Lol, not in my southern accent !!!   Larry will know what I mean.

Whacha talkin about!  It's everybody else that has an accent!      

[Slowmodem]

If you want an even stronger solution, mix 1/3 TSP substitute with 2/3 Oxy, and same as above.

What do you mean by substitute?

[iddee]

Slow, his southern accent is NOT southern USA. 

[Riverrat]

Slow, his southern accent is NOT southern USA. 

He has the same accent my neighbor has 

[efmesch]

I have no experience with Oxyclean, but I have a more than healthy respect (=fear) of working with hot lye.  It is a very dangerous chemical and can cause serious burns.  While doing some chemistry lab work  (many years ago) with hot lye as a reagent, a drop got into my eye and it almost cost me my sight.  For well over 20 years it left a scar mark on the white of my eye which only very gradually disappeared.

Bottom line: my advice is to avoid lye if you have an alternative product to use.

[Slowmodem]

Slow, his southern accent is NOT southern USA. 

OH.   

You should have heard me speaking German with a Tennessee twang when I was over there in the Army!   

[tecumseh]

a perry snip...
That's a good question. I don't know about boiling them in anything, I would think they would warp badly.
I might be inclined to take them to a car wash and blast them with a pressure washer.

tecumseh..
could not have said it better myself.  for cleaning I always prefer a number 3 wash tub, hot water and elbow grease, but a power washer would accomplish pretty much the same thing.

[Zulu]

If you want an even stronger solution, mix 1/3 TSP substitute with 2/3 Oxy, and same as above.

What do you mean by substitute?

At Lowes DIY you can buy DAP brand  TSP and TSP substitute ( green carton).  You want the green one as it is phosphate free and safer on the environment. Red devil make a version they call TSP/90, same as Green carton above- Sodium metasillicate.

Also you want the cheap old fashion Oxyclean, don't need the ones with perfume added

Chemically, you are using sodium metasilicate ( instead of Trisodium phosphate) and sodium percarbonate, plus sodium carbonate.

[Edward]

Buy a second hand dishwasher and you can wash bee keeping equipment in it frames, plastics connect it to the garden hose outside or in the garage.
You can use (Sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda, or lye) as a detergent in it.

If you use the good dishwasher in the kitchen you might end up sleeping in the garage or garden shed!  :'( 


mvh Edward 

[denise1952]

I soak all mine in washing soda crystals don't know if you can get it over there but if you can give it a try good stuff

[keeperofthebees]

Get yourself an old 55 gallon open top barrel, and throw a half dozen 5 gallon buckets of white wood ash in there.  Add double the amount of water and dunk what you're trying to clean...Let it sit in there for a week.  Dump it out down the hill, rinse the feeders off with a garden hose, and dry them out.  You might have to weigh everything down with an inner cover on top and a couple cinder blocks.