# When to wash eggs?



## jnoble243 (Jul 10, 2013)

I have never had chickens before this march. Now my chickens are starting to lay but I get very different feed back as to washing eggs. A lot of people have told me to not wash them at all until u use them. Other people say to wash them before putting them in the fridge. What should I do and what is the best way to wash them?


----------



## rob (Jun 20, 2012)

hmmm i dont wash them at all. do you need to ?


----------



## JC17 (Apr 4, 2013)

You can rinse them in warm water if you want to, but you don't have to. If you do decide to wash them, dab dry them because rubbing them can remove the antibacterial film on the egg and can cause them to go bad.


----------



## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

I never wash mine and very rarely ever put them in the fridge unless I've had them on the counter for 2-3 wks first. I'll wipe smudges off with a damp rag, but that's it.

They will stay fresher longer if you do not disturb the bloom.


----------



## ChickensSayMoo (Sep 5, 2012)

I never wash mine either, as I have read they keep better if you dont wash them & also washing can let bacteria in! (not good!)
Apparently store bought eggs are washed then coated with a protective chemical! Ekkk!

I guess if the eggs were really in need of a clean, you could wash the shell just before you use the egg (meaning use it straight away)


----------



## jennifer (May 14, 2013)

Well that's not good! I've been scrubbing mine down.


----------



## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

I just get soap in my Hand rub not scrub it all over and rinse and dry


----------



## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

That bloom is comprised of a protein layer...that dissolves easily when it comes in contact with a surfactant and emulsifier(soap of any kind) that will break down the protein and disperse it...no matter how gentle you are.


----------



## jennifer (May 14, 2013)

Now that my chickens don't bring mud or poo my basket on the counter is full of clean unwashed eggs! I love it!!


----------



## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

Will eggs last as long?


----------



## jennifer (May 14, 2013)

I think longer this way. Refrigerate after about 3 weeks..


----------



## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

Usually when I collect I wash and refrigerate. 

What should I do?


----------



## hennypenny68 (Apr 30, 2013)

I have washed and refridgerated my eggs for years and never once have I had a bad egg it just depends on the person I guess I mean if the egg is poopy and sometime they are then I will wash but if they are clean when I pick them up I just give a quick rinse and In the fridge they go.


----------



## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

leviparker said:


> Usually when I collect I wash and refrigerate.
> 
> What should I do?


You do what suits you! If you go through eggs quickly and have no need to worry about long term storage and such, then it's okay. If you don't mind the taste of the fridge foods in the eggs~which is what I find so I store mine on the counter~then it's all the same really.

No right, no wrong...just do what you do. Some prefer one way, some prefer another.

The only time I usually speak up about eggs is when some germophobe is stridently telling all and sundry that they would NEVER sell, keep, or feed to their families unwashed and unrefrigerated eggs....implying that anyone who does is risking the world's health. LOL Ridiculousness.

At the bottom of the bottom of things, it really comes down to preference or if you are dealing with long term storage/freshness issues. For long term storage, the bloom needs to stay intact to insure freshness, which is why commercial battery operations place a coating back on the eggs after washing.


----------



## morthlandc (Sep 3, 2013)

How long is it safe to leave a egg out at room temperature? I just started getting my first eggs this week and was gone over a long weekend so i was not sure how long it was safe to leave an egg out of being refrigerated. I am new to chicken raising i was very young when my mom said of with there heads and got rid of our chicken flock while I was growing up.


----------



## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

I've never had one to go bad on me, no matter how long I've left them out, so not sure really....why not experiment and find out?


----------



## preachergirl09 (Aug 19, 2013)

I have a question u guys....i had someone say they never put thier eggs in fridge and dont wash them till they use them....idk...but dont they go bad if you never refrigerate them??? Just wondered bout that...thanks...


----------



## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

I've never seen one go bad on the counter....I'm sure they would go bad eventually but that can happen in a fridge too. 

None of my egg customers ever reported getting a bad egg, though they were getting relatively fresh eggs so it would be a moot point..but I never fridged eggs I was selling either.


----------



## Tara80 (Sep 26, 2012)

Interestingly enough, it's against the law for companies who sell eggs in the UK to wash their eggs as opposed to here in the US where it is a requirement to wash the eggs.

Here is an interesting article on it, for those of you who are interested! http://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaar...egal-in-a-british-supermarket-and-vice-versa/


----------

