Washing my Bee Suit

Hi All,
My bee suit is showing signs of the hot sweaty summer that we have just had. It's just a shame it isn't covered in honey stains!! My question is, can it go in the washing machine with the veil attached? it is a fencing type hood.
I don't want it to get damaged in the machine. Also, should I use any particular powder?
Thanks

beenovice said:

Hi All,
My bee suit is showing signs of the hot sweaty summer that we have just had. It's just a shame it isn't covered in honey stains!! My question is, can it go in the washing machine with the veil attached? it is a fencing type hood.
I don't want it to get damaged in the machine. Also, should I use any particular powder?
Thanks

Click to expand...

You should wash it more frequently! Like weekly.
Plus immediately before and after you visit anyone else's bees - like an association meeting.

It depends on the manufacturer as to how robust the veil is.
Many people wash their Sher*ff or BB veils stuffed inside the zipped-up suit, in the washing machine. No harm in using the 'Delicates' cycle.
That apart, unless the manufacturer says so, I'd wash the veil by hand. (That's what I've been doing with my suit's hat-type veil.)

Washing soda is great stuff for washing the suit.
But in your case, maybe you'd think of pre-soaking it in Biotex or a bio detergent ...

I don't risk the hood part in the machine but unzip it and give it a quick wash by hand.

I use normal bio detergent with a handful of washing soda thrown in, but no fabric conditioner because i don't want the suit to smell like Lenor.

BB's washing instructions are to remove the veil and stuff it inside a sleeve to protect it in the machine.

I turn the veil inside the suite to wash.

If any of my suits are badly stained, I soak them in Vanish before a brief 30 minute wash using washing soda.


They come out beautifully clean.

Dusty

garlicpickle said:

I don't risk the hood part in the machine but unzip it and give it a quick wash by hand.

I use normal bio detergent with a handful of washing soda thrown in, but no fabric conditioner because i don't want the suit to smell like Lenor.

Click to expand...

+1 ... Exactly how I do it ... usually every week or before and after I've been to anyone else's apiary.

And if anyone can tell me how to get a full bee suit off when it's muddy underfoot without completely getting it covered in mud then I'm open to suggestions ...

pargyle said:

And if anyone can tell me how to get a full bee suit off when it's muddy underfoot without completely getting it covered in mud then I'm open to suggestions ...

Click to expand...

I'm usually balancing on one leg trying to get welly off, suit off, shoe on while holding onto the tailgate of the car with the other hand and not fall into the road while I'm doing it (as well as keeping an eye on the smoker embers to make sure they don't set me, my suit or the car on fire)

pargyle said:

+1 ... Exactly how I do it ... usually every week or before and after I've been to anyone else's apiary.

And if anyone can tell me how to get a full bee suit off when it's muddy underfoot without completely getting it covered in mud then I'm open to suggestions ...

Click to expand...

Wear it home. Then you can sit down to remove it in comfort.

Dusty Rhodes said:

If any of my suits are badly stained, I soak them in Vanish
Dusty

Click to expand...

How do you find them afterwards?

Bit like bath nights I wash mine every monh whether they need it or not - I use persil small and mighty non bio - veil zipped inside the suit.

Where our Association apiary had AFB, had to wash my suit and trousers and boots after every visit. Warm weather helped make it less than a PITA.

Bio hand wash and soak for an hour is enough. Perfectly clean..

beenovice said:

Hi All,
My bee suit is showing signs of the hot sweaty summer that we have just had. It's just a shame it isn't covered in honey stains!! My question is, can it go in the washing machine with the veil attached? it is a fencing type hood.
I don't want it to get damaged in the machine. Also, should I use any particular powder?
Thanks

Click to expand...

Yuk.
I wash mine every time it's used.

garlicpickle said:

I'm usually balancing on one leg trying to get welly off, suit off, shoe on while holding onto the tailgate of the car with the other hand and not fall into the road while I'm doing it (as well as keeping an eye on the smoker embers to make sure they don't set me, my suit or the car on fire)

Click to expand...

Ha Ha ... yes, that's about how I usually manage but my sense of balance is failing ... must be the drink - inevitably get a foot stuck in the leg and have to put it down on the ground .. last Sunday I managed to cover the entire inside and outside of my suit in mudstains ... hopeless ... or perhaps hopless !!

Sherrif suit veil tucked in, 14,000 spin . Never a problem ,had the suit for years ,no sign of wear
VM

Luminos said:

Yuk.
I wash mine every time it's used.

Click to expand...

What a waste of detergent, water and energy! I only have the one hive, so no risk of cross contamination. Thanks for all the washing advice everyone. I consider myself reprimanded, but it is only on for about 20 minutes a week!

I did wonder what that smell was coming from my bee holdall!!

pargyle said:

+1 ...
And if anyone can tell me how to get a full bee suit off when it's muddy underfoot without completely getting it covered in mud then I'm open to suggestions ...

Click to expand...

Easy - keep a piece of old carpet in the car to change on.

Fraise said:

Easy - keep a piece of old carpet in the car to change on.

Click to expand...

..or small rubber mat from car footwell

"but no fabric conditioner because i don't want the suit to smell like Lenor."

no-one should be using fabric conditioner for anything - it contains formaldehyde, which damages the lungs!!! we have strict limits on exposure at work and special ventilation systems.

i find the smell of passers by with heavily treated clothing very unpleasant.

why anyone would wish to make their clothes (any more) toxic to them is beyond me.

drstitson said:

"but no fabric conditioner because i don't want the suit to smell like Lenor."

no-one should be using fabric conditioner for anything - it contains formaldehyde, which damages the lungs!!! we have strict limits on exposure at work and special ventilation systems.

i find the smell of passers by with heavily treated clothing very unpleasant.

why anyone would wish to make their clothes (any more) toxic to them is beyond me.

Click to expand...

As a boy it was my job to operate the stirrup pump while my dad sprayed the green houses with 1% formaldehyde solution. We sprayed inside and out every year. Certainly killed any bugs that might have wanted to attack but streaming eyes were the order of the day.
That was 60 years ago and I'm still here

Gilberdyke John said:

streaming eyes were the order of the day.

Click to expand...

Memories of anatomy practicals at university.

"sprayed the green houses with 1% formaldehyde solution ... inside and out every year. That was 60 years ago and I'm still here"

that was once a year though - how many families do at least one wash per day?

we have a big problem with increasing incidence of "asthma" - how much is due to the unnecessary cr*p that is being impregnated into clothing? often exacerbated by the fact that it seems to be smokers that use more FC (for obvious reasons).