Best way to clean extractor

[LeonardS]

What is the best way to clean the extractor.....hot water, warm water, cool water? What do you clean with, a spong, a rag or ? Everything is sure sticky!

[psfred]

Hot water spray takes everything out pronto. We can hook up to the domestic hot water at my brother's, takes a couple minutes to wash the extractor down.

Peter

[beemandan]

An old beekeeper once advised my to wash mine first with cold water. Hot water will soften the wax particles and they'll get stuck in all sorts of inconvenient spots. So, that's what I do. A wash and rinse with cold. If I still feel the need to scrub, then I do a hot.

[Myron Denny]

If you have a local car wash that will work wonders. Be sure you use rinse as the last cycle!

[sqkcrk]

Hot water spray takes everything out pronto. We can hook up to the domestic hot water at my brother's, takes a couple minutes to wash the extractor down.

Peter

This is all I would do.

[Michael B]

Hot water spray takes everything out pronto. We can hook up to the domestic hot water at my brother's, takes a couple minutes to wash the extractor down.

Peter

Works like a charm

[brooksbeefarm]

I first set mine outside on a tarp and let the bees lick it clean. Then spray it down with hot water. Jack

[Riverratbees]

Water is hot enough the wax particals will disolve before your eyes.

[wanderyr]

With hot water, I was concerned that the wax would re-solidify in my drain pipes! So, I rinsed with cold water 4 or 5 times. The wax is generally just held on by honey, so as you rinse the honey away (with cold water), the wax follows it.

[jbeshearse]

I use a pressure washer. Goes very fast. That is on a stainless steel extractor. Stay away from the bearings

[grozzie2]

I tried leaving it out for the bees to go and clean up. they flew right over it, and kept on going, but the wasps found it in just a couple of minutes.

We gave up on letting the bees clean for us, and just turned on the pressure washer, done in a couple minutes.

[BeeGhost]

I just use the garden hose and a sponge, its amazing that such a sticky substance like honey washes away so easy!!

[BMAC]

I use a pressure washer. Goes very fast. That is on a stainless steel extractor. Stay away from the bearings

excellent point. another great point is to regrease the bearing prior to washing and make sure you give ample time after last run to let bearing cool completely. Its amazing how cold water on hot bearings sucks the water right into the bearings.