The use of a soap is often recommended because is will help remove the greasy film of organic matter that sticks firmly to the pen floor or wall. This biofilm can shelter bacteria and viruses from removal and disinfection. Disinfectants are used to kill whatever bacteria or viruses remain after washing. Generally disinfection has been deemed essential, but it is not effective without a thorough wash first. Organic matter such as manure or bedding needs to be removed before a disinfectant will be effective.
Disinfectants are among the most hazardous chemicals in barns.
They can be toxic and corrosive. People need to apply them only at the dilutions recommended and need to be protected with proper clothing. With washing and disinfection a regular part of pig production, I wanted to examine various washing methods to determine if there are any efficiencies to be had. As outcomes, we measured how long it took to wash each pen, we swabbed the pens to determine how clean they were, and we measured how well the pigs grew. In this newsletter I will just present the wash time data, and will discuss the disinfection and pig growth in the next newsletter.