Sterilization techniques for organic methods: Or, is Cl really appropriate?

[Microbeman]

I have had no experience with the agriculture vinegar..I wonder

 

[Doobie Nyce]

I have been using essential oils to sanitize gear from a nasty mildew grow.

Works great!!

 

[SeaMaiden]

Doobie, please share with us what you're using and how.

 

[Dkgrower]

Just use cold water and soap if u really need it.

I can only see the use off sterilization if u want to inoculate some medium.

We have around 10 times more bacteria cell in oure body, than the amount off cells that make a human.

I think its 40 mill bacteria cells in 1 gram soil and 10mill in 1 mm fresh water.

 

[SeaMaiden]

I use plain soap and water for handwashing regularly. Are you saying it's sufficient methodology should I experience a disease outbreak? My gut is telling me it's not. I will reiterate that my experience with controlling disease in living things, vertebrate and otherwise, comes from working in a public aquarium. We culture what we want, and must eliminate what we don't.

 

[BurnOne]

It's easy to kill bacteria on surfaces like skin, metal and plastic. Hot soapy water will kill almost all the bacteria there. It's only after it gets mixed into other things like the human body, living soil or a bacteria rich environment that it gets hard to kill.
Burn1

 

[Mt Toaker]

Seamaiden, I applaud the effort in doing research and being proactive in your sterilization techniques. In my experience with growing, which is limited compared to many on these forums, needs little sterilization. Proactive cleaning with biodegradable soaps for pots and the room is your best bet for general cleaning. Prepping for cloning and such should be just fine with the h2o2, if you are working with agar and tissue cultures is where sterility really comes into play. In which case I suggest using 99 iOS or for the more organic approach use ever clear or uncut moonshine if you have access to a still. Bleach is awful stuff and should only be used on the whites. For mushroom growing I use 99 iOS and h2o2 and at the volume we work at there is little contamination, and growing mold requires meticulous sterilization. As far as viral prevention I have no experience and see very few growers with those problems, come to think of it I don't think I've ever seen an issue linked to any disease first hand or on icmag.

 

[Dkgrower]

I agree with B1, if the surface structur is not to open is easy to wash off bacteria

And if u are using hot water it has to been boiled, most hot water from the tap is loaded with bacterias much more then cold water.

A good healthy diet and proper enviroment is the key, fore all living organimse to live a healthy life.

So think u are pretty safe with the cold water, Seamaiden or swing by and i cook u a nice dinner to boost u health

Edit ; Good points, Mt toker

 

[al-k-mist]

Hey.
A friend in socal found kombucha to combat and prevent PM, as was in sandor katz's book on wild fermentation.
Other than cloning stuff, and certain mycological endeavors, I dont sanitize anything. I wash with home made soap (add link) and if its too messy, I use limonene, which is pretty much orange oil from orange peels(waste), fractionally distilled to obtain limonene(90%).
I wish i could help more

 

[al-k-mist]

Cant edit. Here is the link to the soap formula, so simple anyone can do it.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=5383867#post5383867

 

[SeaMaiden]

A-K, thank you for that. I think that information should be shared in any/all organic PM control threads.

I agree with B1, if the surface structur is not to open is easy to wash off bacteria

And if u are using hot water it has to been boiled, most hot water from the tap is loaded with bacterias much more then cold water.

A good healthy diet and proper enviroment is the key, fore all living organimse to live a healthy life.

So think u are pretty safe with the cold water, Seamaiden or swing by and i cook u a nice dinner to boost u health

Edit ; Good points, Mt toker

I need a new passport! Mine's expired this year.

IME, simply the experience of 'captivity' is sufficient stressor for many organisms to allow disease-causing organisms to gain foothoold and express disease.

Anyone else here ever go to or spend time at a public aquarium?

 

[Doobie Nyce]

Doobie, please share with us what you're using and how.

I've been mixing 20 drops each of lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and lemon essential oils in a quart sprayer of water.

I clean equipment in soapy water first and then use the essential oil/water mix to coat the surface real good. I leave it wet for a while, maybe 5 minutes. Kills germs and smells great!

I got the oils from mountain rose herbs for just a few dollars.