When should I clean my incubator?
You need to clean your incubator after each use. Some people like to clean new incubators just in case. That’s not necessary most of the time – unless the user guide says otherwise.
Make sure you do a thorough clean before you start using your incubator again, no matter how clean it looks on its own.
Don’t wait until you want to use the incubator again. Grab your cleaning tools and get to work, even if you’re not going to incubate eggs right away. Disinfecting is one of the biggest reasons why you need to clean an incubator – and waiting could allow bacteria to roam around and grow inside.
What can I use to clean an incubator?
You need average cleaning supplies to clean an incubator, including a pair of cleaning gloves, a soft cloth, bleach or disinfectant, and a glass cleaner. Use mild disinfectants or a water-bleach mixture.
Most incubators have Styrofoam parts – and they will melt if you spray chemicals on them. Because of that, I recommend mixing ¼ bleach in � water to clean your incubator.
If things are hard to clean at the bottom, use a brush. Otherwise, a soft cloth will be more than enough. Avoid spraying water or any sort of chemicals on wires and other electrical parts.
Use a light brush to remove dust from incubators you haven’t used in a long time.
How do you get the smell out of an incubator?
Unfortunately, a bad smell in an incubator usually comes from rotten eggs or bacteria. It’s usually both since bacteria causes rotten eggs. You need to remove the root cause of the odour unless you want a bigger problem in your incubator.
Speed is of the essence when dealing with rotten eggs. They are full of bacteria and can explode at any time. They can literally explode – this isn’t hyperbole.
You need to carefully remove the rotten eggs and take them outside of your house; otherwise, they will fill your room with that same odour you smell in your incubator. Burying them is not a bad idea.
Can you clean an incubator with alcohol?
You should avoid using alcohol when cleaning an incubator. While it may seem far from dangerous, alcohol can wreak havoc in several ways. There are Styrofoam parts inside (especially at the bottom). You risk ruining them if you spray or rub them with alcohol.
The best and most straightforward way of cleaning an incubator is mixing ¼ bleach with � water and spraying it inside. Use a soft cloth to finish the job. You can also buy disinfectants – as long as they have no alcohol or corrosive chemicals. Avoid using anything that may melt Styrofoam.
Should eggs be cleaned before incubating?
You need to select the right eggs before incubating them – but avoid cleaning dirty eggs. By rubbing a damp cloth on an egg, you’re removing the protective layer that will keep it safe throughout the incubation process.
At the same time, the rubbing motion increases the chance of bacteria making it inside the egg. You make it harder for the egg to hatch when you try to clean it.
Don’t pick cracked, misshapen, or faulty eggs for your incubator. Unfortunately, you can’t salvage an egg before hatching. Focus on the eggs that have a higher chance to hatch – those belong in your incubator.
Will dirty eggs hatch in an incubator?
Avoid placing dirty eggs inside an incubator. You can use another incubator for dirty eggs if you feel like experimenting or have no other choice but to try to make them hatch.
Keep in mind these eggs are prone to disease and bacteria – and they may carry nasty things inside the incubator that will spread to otherwise healthy eggs.
Dirty eggs have a higher chance of being full of bacteria – and eggs full of bacteria could explode. Make sure you periodically check the incubator for rotten egg odour if you decide to place dirty eggs inside.
How do you disinfect an incubator?
After your eggs have hatched, it’s time to clean and disinfect the incubator. There are a couple of ways you can go at it. Buy disinfectant, make your own using bleach and water, or choose a soapy water solution.
No matter which one you choose, you have to remove the eggshells and anything else you may find inside. After that, spread the solution of your choice. Use a damp cloth to rub the walls and bottom of your incubator. Use a brush for stubborn dirt. Rinse everything and let it dry.
Avoid anything electrical when you’re cleaning as well as moving the incubator around (they’re fragile items).
How do you sterilize a Styrofoam incubator?
There are two ways you can go at sterilizing a Styrofoam incubator. The first is using a ¼ bleach and � water solution; the second is mixing warm water and soap. Spray whatever option you choose and rub it using a damp cloth. Rinse it after.
What’s the difference between each option? The first one is more effective at cleaning and sterilizing surfaces. The second one is less so – but a lot of people prefer it because they’re scared bleach may damage Styrofoam.
Then again, bleach will not hurt Styrofoam unless you use a lot of it. Use whatever you trust the most.
Cleaning incubator with bleach
Using bleach to clean an incubator is a great idea. Make sure you mix it with plenty of water (as in a ¼ bleach and � water mix) to avoid any issues when cleaning Styrofoam and similar materials.
Don’t use bleach alone to disinfect your incubators! Use disinfectants or soapy water if you’re having a hard time removing dirt or odour from there. While a water-bleach mixture is safe to use, pure bleach could be too much for your incubator to handle.
Avoid spraying any solution on top of electrical wires or warm surfaces.
What happens if you don’t clean an incubator?
Dirty incubators have a higher risk of infecting eggs with bacteria and disease. The risk is too high (and the cleaning effort is too little) not to clean them! It takes less than an hour to get everything ready.
Don’t go overboard, though. You have to clean your incubator – but cleaning the eggs is counterproductive. By cleaning them, you remove a protective layer and increase the risk of disease.
The best way to go at it is to clean the incubator, pick the right eggs, and let them hatch. All three things are a must.
How to fumigate an incubator
The best way to fumigate an incubator is to use Formaldehyde gas. Make sure you spread it before placing the eggs or nine days after doing so. You can only fumigate an incubator that has a temperature of at least 70�F (or 21�C).
Wait for 20 minutes after spraying the gas. Then, let it all out. You’ll have to wait for several hours before you can use the incubator. You can wait for a full day if you want to be extra careful about it.
You also have to wait for several hours if you fumigate an incubator with eggs inside. You can only handle the eggs after waiting.
Is it possible to over-fumigate your incubator?
You can over-fumigate your incubator. At the same time, you can under-fumigate your incubator. The former could kill the embryo inside the egg. The latter could leave bacteria alive inside your incubator.
Because of that, you need to follow the fumigation instructions to the letter. Otherwise, you will have a problem in your hands (or, better said, inside your incubator).
Fumigation is a safe process. Don’t worry about it! Make sure you follow instructions, though. That’s the only way not to make a mistake. Playing around with formulas or chemicals is a sure way to have an issue.
How do you make a fumigation solution?
You can buy Formaldehyde gas or make your own by mixing potassium permanganate and formalin.
Mix 1.2cc of formalin with 0.6g of potassium permanganate to make your own fumigation solution. Make sure you mix everything in a container at least ten times bigger than your mix.
When it’s time to fumigate, make sure the incubator is air-tight. The gas should stay inside the incubator for 20 minutes. Then, let the incubator air for several hours. Waiting a full day is a great idea. Avoid fumigating the first nine days after incubating eggs.
When should I fumigate an incubator?
There are two times when you can fumigate an incubator. The first one is before you place your eggs inside. That is, you can fumigate between incubating sessions – as long as there are no eggs inside the incubator. The second time is nine days after you have placed the eggs inside.
Remember not to play around when fumigating. Follow formulas as precisely as possible the same way you will follow instructions.
Otherwise, you risk over-fumigating (and killing the embryos inside the eggs) or under-fumigating (and not killing the bacteria inside the incubator).
