The importance of effective cleaning and disinfection of equipment used to apply hog manure to reduce the risk of spreading Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea was discussed earlier this month as part of a water and nutrient management field day at the University of Manitoba's Glenlea Research Station.

Al Suggit, a sales manager with Hotsy Central, says cleaning is the first step in the multiple steps for making sure you're not spreading the virus and when it comes to killing the pathogen the magic number is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Al Suggit-Hotsy Central:

The most important thing is to make sure that the surfaces that you're cleaning are completely clean and that's the benefit of hot water verses cold.

Hot water will actually lift all the debris off equipment where as cold water will push it along until it falls off so cleaning with hot water is the most effective way, it's the quickest way to do it.It's the most effective way just simply because water is reaching 180 degrees.

They're killing a lot of bacteria in the air as well and that's very important.When you're using hot water you're cutting your cleaning time in half at least.I've heard some guys that they were washing with using cold water for years, the got hot water washers, the same pressures and volumes and they're doing it in a third of the time.Time is money.

Everybody is stretched for time these days.It seems like nobody has a spare 10 minutes so if you can get your cleaning done in a quick manner you're well ahead of the game.
Also plus the fact that, again, hot water temperatures seem to be working well in the fight.

Mr Suggit acknowledges you're never going to kill all of the virus but, if you can kill 90 to 95 per cent, you're well ahead of the game.