steam cleaning

[jonnybeegood]

After viewing a thread about steam cleaners on another thread from Aldi, I wondered if steam could be used to clean poly hives? I have a steam paint stripper from aldi which is quite small like a small football, with various attachments & can be held in one hand, it would be ideal for cleaning out a hive, but would it kill off all the bugs & bacteria that other cleaners would?

 

[Swarm]

Spray inside with cillit bang and and wipe down with a damp cloth.

 

[Erichalfbee]

After viewing a thread about steam cleaners on another thread from Aldi, I wondered if steam could be used to clean poly hives? I have a steam paint stripper from aldi which is quite small like a small football, with various attachments & can be held in one hand, it would be ideal for cleaning out a hive, but would it kill off all the bugs & bacteria that other cleaners would?

I tried that.
Swarm's method is better.
Make sure you get the Cillit Bang with bleach.

 

[pargyle]

I tried that.
Swarm's method is better.
Make sure you get the Cillit Bang with bleach.

Cillit Bang is banned in our house since my wife pitted the polished aluminium shower screen surround with the damn stuff ... probably the most violent cleaner on the planet ... does what it says on the tin though - just have to make sure the surface you are using it on is suitable. Ideal for polyhives by the sound of it ...

 

[Finman]

.
If you try to clean with steam or with pure hot water, wax and propolis only melts and spread along blastic box. It is same as you try to dish oily thing with pure water.

What dirt poly boxes have: Mold, propolis, wax, poo, bad diseases.

Hot lye bath is effective ( 60C) 3% and
killit bang in the temp of 20C.

Thick poo contamination needs hot lye wash.

These stuff/poisons go inside wood if you try to clean wood. Flaming is best for wood.

 

[Arfermo]

Cillit Bang is banned in our house since my wife pitted the polished aluminium shower screen surround with the damn stuff ... probably the most violent cleaner on the planet ... does what it says on the tin though - just have to make sure the surface you are using it on is suitable. Ideal for polyhives by the sound of it ...

Similar to when my wife sprayed the expensive enamelled cast iron bath and then answered a phone call. Ruined the enamel coating for ever.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The only place I use it is on the inherited butler sink and on the poly hives where it works a treat.
When I had a dishwasher I loaded that with washing soda on a hot wash (not hottest because that takes the paint off )that worked really well on poly hives too.

 

[jonnybeegood]

so cillit bang will get them clean but does it kill off bacteria? I thought steam for the heat which I thought would do both jobs?

 

[Finman]

so cillit bang will get them clean but does it kill off bacteria? I thought steam for the heat which I thought would do both jobs?

You then try that steam if you do not believe others' experiences. It is so simple. At least I have tried it many years ago.

 

[Apple]

.
If you try to clean with steam or with pure hot water, wax and propolis only melts and spread along blastic box. It is same as you try to dish oily thing with pure water.

What dirt poly boxes have: Mold, propolis, wax, poo, bad diseases.

Hot lye bath is effective ( 60C) 3% and
killit bang in the temp of 20C.

Thick poo contamination needs hot lye wash.

These stuff/poisons go inside wood if you try to clean wood. Flaming is best for wood.

Hi Finnman
By lye do you mean Sodium Hydroxide solution ( NaOH) ?

Cillit Bang is evil stuff, would take the hair off a pig's bottom! not too sure if it should be used near bees?

I use washing soda to boil my used and steamed frames, I also soak the Payne's manufactured 6 framed nucs in the stuff and it brings them up nicely!



James

 

[Swarm]

so cillit bang will get them clean but does it kill off bacteria? I thought steam for the heat which I thought would do both jobs?

It will, yes.
Treatment for AFB is hypochlorite bleach, you are mainly just cleaning gunk off.

 

[Finman]

K

Hi Finnman
By lye do you mean Sodium Hydroxide solution ( NaOH) ?

Cillit Bang is evil stuff, would take the hair off a pig's bottom! not too sure if it should be used near bees?

I use washing soda to boil my used and steamed frames, I also soak the Payne's manufactured 6 framed nucs in the stuff and it brings them up nicely!



James

Yes, I use NaOH.

CILLIT BANG is meant to use in bathrooms and in kitchens. It is a strong fat solvent and it dryes badly skin in hands. However meant to ordinary human usage. It is handy when I clean one box or two. Rubber gloves...
I have compared many bathroom stuffs how they work in 20C temperature.

Fat solvent feature kills microbia because it destroys cell membranes of microbia.

The most dangerous bakteria in beehives is AFB. It needs over 130C temp to be destroyed. So only way is kill it chemically.

Poo has often nosema spores. And dry poo needs special tricks that you get it off.

I have had poly boxes since 1987, and cleaning them is not a nice job.

.

 

[itma]

...
The most dangerous bakteria in beehives is AFB. It needs over 130C temp to be destroyed. So only way is kill it chemically.

Poo has often nosema spores. And dry poo need special trick that you get it off.
...

It is worth mentioning that it is the AFB spores that have such thermal resistance - left behind, they will produce another generation of bacteria. And for dealing with spores (like AFB and Nosema's), when you can't scorch (like poly), then Bleach is the weapon of choice.

Cillit Bang is a brand rather than a single product. It includes a range of cleaners for different types of dirt. The brand is marketed throughout the world and there are different formulations for different types of cleaning. The products also differ in different countries to fit people's cleaning habits and local regulations as to what components can be included.

It would be impossible to cover every member of the Cillit Bang family here so we will look at a representative range of the different types.

The Cillit Bang range can be broken down into three main types of product

• ‘Lime and Grime’ range of cleaners based on acids
• Toilet cleaners - based on bleaches
• Degreasers - alkaline, based on detergents and solvents

http://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/resources/chemistry-in-your-cupboard/cillit_bang/1


It is important to note that the advice is particularly for the 'toilet cleaning' variety - which is based on alkali and bleach. The kitchen 'degreaser' might help with cleaning, but not with 'disinfection' so much as a Bleach-based product.
The acidic "grime & lime" version isn't going to be much help.

 

[Apple]

Then to my lye solution 3% sodium hydroxide : I shall add bleach sodium hypochlorite

Plus the newt eyes and stirr with a broom!

Clockwise or anticlockwise ( That is counterclockwise for our friends across the pond)

What concentration of bleach?



James

 

[BeeJayBee]

so cillit bang will get them clean but does it kill off bacteria? I thought steam for the heat which I thought would do both jobs?

You don't need to steam poly hives, use a strong solution of Washing Soda. Bleach will destroy foulbrood spores.

Check out the NBU leaflet "Hive Cleaning and Sterilisation" http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=1069

There are more downloadable fact and information sheets on this page. http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=167 You've got plenty of time to read them all before the season starts.

What concentration of bleach?

It's all in the NBU fact sheet, you're more likely to remember it if you read the whole thing yourself rather than extracts from other people.

 

[Little John]

Then to my lye solution 3% sodium hydroxide : I shall add bleach sodium hypochlorite

This may be ok - but - mixing cleaning products in general - unless you know exactly what you're doing - is often an excellent method of liberating copious amounts of chlorine gas ...

LJ

 

[itma]

Cillit Bang toilet cleaners
These cleaners work by bleaching stains. They are based around a formulation containing sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and sodium hydroxide (an alkali).

http://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/resources/chemistry-in-your-cupboard/cillit_bang/7

 

[jonnybeegood]

You don't need to steam poly hives, use a strong solution of Washing Soda. Bleach will destroy foulbrood spores.

Check out the NBU leaflet "Hive Cleaning and Sterilisation" http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=1069

There are more downloadable fact and information sheets on this page. http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=167 You've got plenty of time to read them all before the season starts.


It's all in the NBU fact sheet, you're more likely to remember it if you read the whole thing yourself rather than extracts from other people.

No i know you dont need to steam clean them, i just wondered as i have a small steam cleaner, would it work, i was mainly thinking of killing nasties more than cleaning propollis to be honest.

 

[Finman]

No i know you dont need to steam clean them, i just wondered as i have a small steam cleaner, would it work, i was mainly thinking of killing nasties more than cleaning propollis to be honest.

You just do it. Then you see.

 

[jonnybeegood]

You just do it. Then you see.

Well I could just do it but I wasn't sure if the steam would be too hot & damage a poly hive, so rather than just do it & wreck a hive I thought I would ask, I know I can use washing soda & cillit bang, its the steam I was wondering about.