Need help cleaning dehydrator trays

braggscowboy · #21 08/30/12, 08:55 PM

Had that problem with mine, and mine has 22 shelves (from an apple orchard) and as I made jerky from all the liquids it was a big mess and I started using dry rub and not near the trouble.

Maverick_mg · #22 08/30/12, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MullersLaneFarm

I wonder who made a louder 'Ewwwwww', you 'ewwwing' about a brown stain from Worstershire or me wondering how much chemicals aren't rinsed off from Bon Ami, Ajax, et al.

Ewwwww!

Im not sure on the Ajax, but at least the BonAmi is all natural. It's just a soap. No chemicals.

Danaus29 · #23 08/30/12, 10:52 PM

Ajax dish washing liquid.

Borax seems to be working pretty well. At least most of it is off now. Borax will rinse off and is acceptable for use in dishwashers.

Bearfootfarm · #24 08/31/12, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MullersLaneFarm

I wonder who made a louder 'Ewwwwww', you 'ewwwing' about a brown stain from Worstershire or me wondering how much chemicals aren't rinsed off from Bon Ami, Ajax, et al.

Ewwwww!

Bon Ami:

Ingredients from MSDS Label
Sodium carbonate
Calcium carbonate (Limestone)
Feldspar-group minerals

Sanza · #25 08/31/12, 12:30 AM

I'm begining to sound like a broken record but....

I use plain sheer curtains (cut to fit the tray size) to lay the food on in electric dehydrators and have no problem with food sticking to the shelves. You lift off the material with the food and since it's pliable the food peels right off.
When I solar dry I use the sheers both on the bottom to cover the racks, and on top to cover the food from any bugs that can get to them.

Silvercreek Farmer · #26 08/31/12, 09:40 AM

I haven't seen anyone mention the dishwasher! It works pretty well for me. If that doesn't work, I don't worry about it, it is just gooey salt after all, nothing can live on that...

NickyBlade · #27 08/31/12, 12:52 PM

I use SOS.

Danaus29 · #28 08/31/12, 12:54 PM

I mentioned dishwasher in my original post, as in I have no dishwasher.

I never heard of using sheer curtains. Do they unravel when you wash them?

SOS will tear up the plastic trays.

chickenmommy · #29 08/31/12, 02:47 PM

Efferdent. Fizz it out. And I had an "eeewwww" event over this, also. It may only be sugar and Worcestershire, but there may be little tiny bits of protein in there also. One good case of food borne illness will make a clean freak out of anyone! If there is no protein or fat involved, no big deal. But protein and fat................

Sparkie · #30 08/31/12, 04:19 PM

I don't think it's any big deal either if it's just stained. No real risk there. But to each his own I guess.

Sanza · #31 08/31/12, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danaus29

I mentioned dishwasher in my original post, as in I have no dishwasher.

I never heard of using sheer curtains. Do they unravel when you wash them?

SOS will tear up the plastic trays.

When I get sheers I cut them into 3' x 3' or smaller sizes and serge around the edges so no unravelling.
They are lightweight, allow air and liquid through them but most importantly they prevent food sticking to the trays and wire racks, so if anything the trays will only stain and a bit of bleach should take it off.

I rinse off the sheers, give them a dip in beach water, rinse them again, and they're good to use all over again for anything.
I use them for making cheese or straining fruit juice for making jelly, and even use little 6" ones for making spice bouquets for soups or brines.

Cliff · #32 09/01/12, 07:56 AM

To all of you eww people.... I've taken microbiology. I work with life threatening health issues caused by bacteria on a daily basis - how about you? I don't especially appreciate the disdain since I actually know what I'm talking about. I can assure you that a stained dehydrator tray is not a health risk

On a related note, our current culture's obsessive fear of germs and the use of antibacterial soaps etc is killing us. In general today people, especially the young people who have grown up in disinfected environments, have very weak and dysfunctional immune systems. Auto immune diseases and allergies are occurring at unprecedented rates. Living in a disinfected environment - which by the way was sold to us by corporate america for the purpose of making money, not for our health (you do know that right?) - is killing us. Time to wake up.

mare · #33 09/01/12, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff

Really? It's more or less just stained...?

If it's not going to support the growth of bacteria and it's not going to affect the taste of other things you dehydrate, who cares? Or maybe I should ask WHY would you care. I really am interested to know, that's not a rhetorical question.

to me it sounded like it was stuff stuck on there not just staining, i guess my experience making jerky on the tray is the liquid seeps down into the holes and i know oh hard that is to get out. and when i dehydrate i want things clean. just the way i am

Cliff · #34 09/01/12, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mare

to me it sounded like it was stuff stuck on there not just staining, i guess my experience making jerky on the tray is the liquid seeps down into the holes and i know oh hard that is to get out. and when i dehydrate i want things clean. just the way i am

From what the op said it sounds like basically sugar residue. Even if there is some protein hardened in the sugar it won't grow bacteria. Sugar and especially honey keeps bacteria from growing. Yes I'd try to wash it too but if it was that difficult to get off I wouldn't go to heroic measures. It really won't hurt anything except your sensibilities

jennytw · #35 09/01/12, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff

To all of you eww people.... I've taken microbiology. I work with life threatening health issues caused by bacteria on a daily basis - how about you? I don't especially appreciate the disdain since I actually know what I'm talking about. I can assure you that a stained dehydrator tray is not a health risk

On a related note, our current culture's obsessive fear of germs and the use of antibacterial soaps etc is killing us. In general today people, especially the young people who have grown up in disinfected environments, have very weak and dysfunctional immune systems. Auto immune diseases and allergies are occurring at unprecedented rates. Living in a disinfected environment - which by the way was sold to us by corporate america for the purpose of making money, not for our health (you do know that right?) - is killing us. Time to wake up.

Agreed.

Sanza · #36 09/01/12, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff

To all of you eww people.... I've taken microbiology. I work with life threatening health issues caused by bacteria on a daily basis - how about you? I don't especially appreciate the disdain since I actually know what I'm talking about. I can assure you that a stained dehydrator tray is not a health risk

On a related note, our current culture's obsessive fear of germs and the use of antibacterial soaps etc is killing us. In general today people, especially the young people who have grown up in disinfected environments, have very weak and dysfunctional immune systems. Auto immune diseases and allergies are occurring at unprecedented rates. Living in a disinfected environment - which by the way was sold to us by corporate america for the purpose of making money, not for our health (you do know that right?) - is killing us. Time to wake up.

This is so true and it's time to raise the awareness of what people are doing to their health by using all the anti-bacterial cleaners.

Danaus29 · #37 09/01/12, 07:03 PM

I did use really hot water in which to soak them (my water heater is set higher than normal). Then a dose of vinegar would have killed anything that would have survived the dehydrating and soaking and the baking soda dose.

But the Borax, hot water and dish soap seems like it will remove all the gunk. Most is off one tray. I didn't need the icky ones to dry the rest of the mushrooms but I haven't had the sink free to do the trays again.

If I was really concerned about germs I would have used bleach first.

DarleneJ · #38 09/01/12, 07:33 PM

I have and old footbrush, you know the kind that has the pumice on one side and a thick soft brush on the other? Well, mine was hardly ever used and the pumice fell off. It has a nice long handle and the thick brush holds soap longer than anything else. The soft bristles don't break the plastic mesh and it covers more territory than a toothbrush.

Next time, with jerky like that I would use some kind of tray liner to clean up easier. I like the parchment paper idea. Then you could just throw away when done. Mostly I just use the liners.

julieq · #39 09/01/12, 09:00 PM

I have a deep sink in my laundry room. I put hot water and bleach in that and soak the dehydrator trays when I need to. Saves fussing with them in my kitchen sink, which is too shallow for them.

gilberte · #40 09/02/12, 05:08 AM

I agree with ya about the germaphobia thing and I ain't worried about a little staining either. But I do find the dehydrator hard to clean at times and I do think you need to get most of the crunchy little things off. If you don't they collect more pieces of crunchy little things, which collect their own pieces of little crunchy things, which....... well, you get the idea. Pretty soon you're sayin', "clean enough to stop on, clean enough to start on."