5 replies to this topic

[AndersT]

The other day, I decided to go down to the beach I work right next to, during my break. I went there looking for rocks and sticks to use in an outworld I'm building. 

 

I took it all home, washed it very thoroughly with dish soap and proceeded to pour boiling water over it. 

 

Is this enough to sanitize everything, or should I take further precautions? 

 

Edited by AndersT, September 8 2015 - 8:01 AM.

[NightsWebs]

hmmm I would consider baking at 200 degrees for 30 minutes except rocks especially porous ones could explode.  Boiling the rocks for 10 minutes would be better.  But I am no expert in the matter.  I bake my dirt at 200 degrees in an aluminum pan covered with foil and when the temp of the dirt/sand reaches 180 degrees, I test it by sticking into the center/near center of the dirt/sand,  I let it bake for 30 minutes.  It ensures everything is dead.  I hope this helps.

[drtrmiller]

The only things you're aiming to kill are mites and other potentially parasitic organisms.

 

You will not easily kill fungal spores or bacteria on natural items without potentially damaging them.

 

The dish soap was unnecessary, as heat alone is sufficient to kill most higher organisms, especially the "pouring boiling water" approach you described.

 

Another method to kill mites, nematodes, and other higher organisms would be dry heat, such as an oven, at the lowest temperature setting, usually 75 C (170 F), for 1 hour.

Edited by drtrmiller, September 8 2015 - 8:36 AM.

[AndersT]

Thanks for the answers!

 

Very informative drtrmiler. I might try "baking" the rocks in the oven. NightsWebs mentioned rocks exploding - do I have to worry about something like that before putting them in there?

 

Also, how do you guys decontaminate sticks? Same approach?

[dspdrew]

I've put rocks, logs, sticks, leaves, and other natural items in the oven before. I do this with leaves quite often. I usually put them in around 220F or so. I think I have put logs in my large oven at even higher temps without burning them if I remember right. Rocks, dirt, and sand I put in at much higher temps. I have never had a rock explode. I think that is probably unlikely, considering how many rocks I have put in the oven, and in camp fires as a kid and have never seen anything explode or heard of it happening to anyone else.

[stuhrike]

I'm not entirely sure if this is relevant but when I was super into fish, I'd boil drift wood in order to leech the tannin out faster.  

I'd have to boil it multiple times in order to get most of it out but i'm sure it killed mostly everything that was on there.