What process do you use to clean an extractor after use.

[Slow Modem]

I took mine down to the car wash. Works great. Wrap the motor in plastic.

[Acebird]

swish with bleach water, rinse well, dry, then cover and store then all I have to do is uncover and use next time.

Bleaching is a form of sanitizing which is better done right before you use it again. Doing it after you extract is not helpful. Of course with honey one could say you don't need to do it at all but I feel better doing it.

[RABray]

Thank you all for your very helpful ideas! I put my new extractor in the back of my pick up as shown above and headed for the car wash to give it it's first cleaning to remove any oils or manufacturing film that may be on it. I doused it good with their soap and then rinsed good with their "clean rinse". I noticed a very strong nasty odor to the rinse water so I then sprayed the unit down good with a sanitizer solution, I use for making wine, when I got home and rinsed again with my "real clean rinse". The hose with cold water worked wonderfully after extraction and on the strainers as well. Thank you all for your great ideas.

[Acebird]

I would be leery of additives in a car wash. Recycled water?

[blueskydixon]

I tried setting it outside and a lot of bees got stuck in the honey and died, plus the ants moved in. I ended up having to take it all apart to clean it. I would recommend the cold water, then hot water clean up. I did put everything else outside. How do you get all the wax off of the strainers?

[max2]

I suppose that depends on how many hives you have and how many out yards you have. For us hobiest with just a few hives sitting a few feet from each other, its unlikely that hive A has a disease that hive B doesnt. If you fall into that category, letting the girls clean out the extractor is certainly a good way to reduce lean up time and recycle a few cups of honey.

As to the method, i do like taxonomy post #15 said.

...but hive C a mile down the road may well have a disease - never let the bees clean up. Simply not worth the risk.

[sqkcrk]

its unlikely that hive A has a disease that hive B doesnt.

I would disagree w/ you, unless you know disease (read AFB) well and know that both of your hives are free from AFB, I would not recommend letting bees clean an extractor. Statistically, smaller apiaries have higher percentages of AFB, often completely unknown to the beekeeper.

It is not the hives down the road which will make a disease spreading situation, but the honey in the extractor itself which might do so.

Hot water rinse, as I said before.