Cleaning Livestock Trailers: Tips on Maintaining Trailers Used for Cattle, Horses, and More
Have you ever stopped to look at how dirty your livestock trailers can get? After just a few transports, you’ll find yourself staring back at a smelly, chaotic mess that puts your animals–and your business–in danger.
Cleaning livestock trailers is a must. But how do you clean a livestock trailer, anyhow?
If you’re still relying on manual cleaning methods like scrubbing, there’s a better solution: pressure washing.
The agriculture industry has relied on top rated commercial pressure washers for many tasks, including cleaning cattle trailers and ensuring sanitary conditions.
This guide explains everything you need to know. If you want more information, contact our team at Hotsy of Houston for a personalized solution for trailer maintenance.
The Importance of Cleaning Livestock Trailers
Ignoring the importance of cleaning livestock trailers is a huge mistake. Clean trailers mean happy, healthy animals, improving your product quality.
Preventing Disease Spread Among Animals
Illnesses on your farm can spread like wildfire. One disease vector that can go overlooked is a dirty trailer.
Picture this: A cow, horse, or chicken becomes a virus carrier. You don’t notice the symptoms yet, so you load it up and head across town with several other animals.
With each stop you make, that virus spreads, infecting your other animals and any livestock on nearby farms.
You return to your farm and make that same trip the next day, infecting a new batch of animals again. Every animal may have become sick before you even consider implementing your routine for cleaning cattle trailers.
Trust us–you won’t want that headache that comes with diseased animals and what that does for your product quality. Instead, take the extra time to learn about cleaning livestock trailers for your peace of mind.
Enhancing Livestock Health and Comfort
Cleaning cattle trailers isn’t only about the worst-case scenario of disease–it’s also vital to the comfort and health of your animals.
In a dirty trailer, your animals will get stressed, lose weight, and breathe in germs–all of which diminish your final products. That’s even before considering the anguish of watching your animals wallow in discomfort.
Regularly cleaning livestock trailers provides your animals a safe environment that keeps them healthy until they reach their destination.
Complying With Regulations
If you think a simple wipe-down is enough for cleaning livestock trailers, you have another thing coming.
Regulatory agencies are constantly evolving their standards. That means a higher risk of fines, delays, or even total shutdowns if you aren’t keeping things clean.
The worst part of it is you often have no warning. It can seem as if inspectors look over your setup at the worst possible moments, hitting you with an unfortunate bill.
These worries disappear when you learn and implement a routine for cleaning cattle trailers. Knowing you’re setting the standard, a surprised inspection is no longer something to fear. With enough stellar passing grades, you can use that information to bolster your brand reputation.
Extending the Life of Your Trailer
While cleaning livestock trailers benefits the animals most, we must also consider the vehicle.
If your trailers are messy, muck and grime will seep into the structure. Those seemingly minor issues can develop into significant structural problems.
To preserve your investment, make sure you are keeping everything clean.
How Do You Clean a Livestock Trailer?
We’ve covered the importance of doing so, but how do you clean a livestock trailer?
There are a few methods–manual scrubbing and chemical applications, among others–but only one is safe and effective: pressure washing.
Assessing the Condition of the Trailer Before Cleaning
You must assess the situation before a single drop of water or soap reaches your trailer. A brand-new trailer that has only been used a couple of times requires a different approach than one that hasn’t been cleaned in months.
Dry Cleaning the Trailer Interior
By dry cleaning–that is, not using the pressure washer right away–you can identify problem areas and eliminate loose debris. You can use a sturdy broom or small shop vacuum to clear out bedding, manure, and other materials.
Clearing out the mud and manure also simplifies the pressure washing process, as there will be less dirt to clean up.
Benefits of Using a Pressure Washer
Pressure washing vehicle fleets is a central part of the agricultural industry, and for a good reason. The high-pressure water stream can eradicate grime, grease, and biological products in seconds. Plus, with the right detergent, you can sanitize the trailer simultaneously, saving you plenty of time.
Other Methods and Why They Fall Short Compared to Pressure Washing
If you’ve been in the industry long enough, you’ve likely seen (and tried) all sorts of methods. Garden hoses, buckets and mops, sponges, and chemicals… all deliver subpar results.
That’s because these methods lack the speed and safety of pressure washing. They’ll leave grime and muck in your trailers’ cracks and crevices, causing long-term damage. Chemical applications can also harm the animals within, ruining your product quality.
Tips on Sourcing Livestock Trailer Pressure Washing Equipment
With pressure washers as the best option for cleaning livestock trailers, let’s discuss how you can find the best equipment. Plenty of pressure washer types are out there, and getting the wrong features can be a difference-maker for your results.
Choosing the Right PSI and GPM for Livestock Trailers
The first thing to consider in this pressure washer buying guide is your machine’s GPM (gallons per minute) and PSI (pounds per square inch). These values determine your water stream’s volume (GPM) and force (PSI).
The ideal number depends on the material of your trailer. If the interior is made of wood or flimsier metal, you should use 1,500 to 2,000 PSI. However, you should use a PSI closer to 3,000 for sturdy metal like aluminum.
GPM should be in the 2 to 6 range, with higher values providing faster cleaning.
Hot Water Pressure Washers for Livestock Cleaning
Typically, the choice between hot vs cold water pressure washers is nuanced. But for cleaning cattle trailers, a heated model is your best bet.
The extra heat, when combined with a quality detergent, can remove germs and break down biological matter faster and more effectively than cold water machines.
For specific recommendations on industrial hot water pressure washers in Houston, talk to our team at Hotsy of Houston!
Detergents and Disinfectants for Livestock Cleaning
The decision of what soap to use in a pressure washer is equally critical as the machine itself. The best pressure washer soaps are formulated specifically for the underlying surface, giving practical and safe cleaning power.
We highly recommend Hotsy’s line of biodegradable soaps. Hotsy Breakthrough is a tremendous all-around soap, Hotsy Transport is rated for vehicles, and Hotsy Verde All-Purpose has a complete list of eco-friendly ingredients.
You should also pair Hotsy’s Vital Oxide disinfectant, rated to deal with common germs and microorganisms, including COVID-19, with any of these soaps.
Essential Accessories for Trailer Cleaning
Accessories make cleaning a breeze. Trailers have nooks and crannies that only the best pressure washer attachments can effectively reach.
For example, Hotsy’s Foam Cannon can ensure complete trailer coverage. Similarly, Hotsy’s Extension Wands can assist in reaching the high areas of your trailer without needing to get on a step ladder.
Make sure to utilize both narrow and wide-angle nozzles during the process. Narrow nozzles effectively target stubborn stains, whereas wide nozzles allow for quick coverage of larger areas.
And don’t forget some high-quality pressure washing clothing, like masks, gloves, goggles, and non-slip boots. That will keep you and your team safe during the process.
Consider Buying vs Renting Equipment
If you invest in a pressure washer for your setup, you should ask yourself one more question: Should you buy or rent?
The answer depends on your business.
Buying is the most cost-effective option if you have cleaning needs elsewhere in your business. Pressure washing farm equipment, cleaning dairy processing facilities, cleaning inside silos, and pressure washing meat markets are all potential areas that may apply.
However, if you only transport animals, you might require less frequent cleaning.
That can make renting more convenient. You can save on pressure washer repair costs and avoid worrying about how to store a pressure washer; just pick up your machine from your local retailer, clean the trailers, and you’re all set.
Sometimes, the choice is best left to the professionals. Our team at Hotsy of Houston, the #1 home for sales and industrial pressure washer rental in Houston, is here to take all of these decisions off your plate.
Trust the Professionals at Hotsy of Houston
AgPro, BobCat, Fresh Texas, and hundreds of other companies agree that Hotsy of Houston is the best place to find industrial pressure washers in Houston.
Our team has helped local businesses streamline their cleaning tasks, saving them money and time on labor.
We’re proud to be Southeast Texas’ trusted Hotsy retailer, bringing you machines with a 50-year-long reputation. With our knowledge and friendly customer support, we’ll set you up for success.
We’ll walk you through how to rent a pressure washer, show you the best industrial cold water pressure washers in Houston, and even help you decide between electric vs gas pressure washers.
You can sit back and dream about what you’ll do with that extra free time.
We also sell high-quality pressure washer detergent and accessories from Hotsy, maximizing your cleaning power.
Our team sells and rents pressure washer trailers in Houston, including customized pressure washing trailer setups for limited water access jobs.
And long after you purchase, we’ll remain by your side. We’re the best place to find industrial pressure washer repair in Houston for Hotsy and non-Hotsy models. We’ll show you how to maintain a pressure washer and ensure your equipment remains in tip-top shape.
Step-by-Step Guide to Pressure Washing Livestock Trailers
Before investing in a powerful machine that transforms your livestock trailers, let’s discuss how a pressure washer works. The process is simple, and before you know it, your vehicles will be shining as good as new.
Step 1: Remove Livestock and Debris
Before you begin cleaning, clear the trailer of animals and debris, including leftover bedding, animal feed, and manure. We recommend using a small shop vacuum if the trailer is particularly messy.
Step 2: Pre-Rinse the Trailer
A quick pre-rinse will set the foundation for your cleaning. It will start loosening that caked-on muck, simplifying the following steps.
Step 3: Apply Detergent or Degreaser
For the best results, you want to ensure you are using soap with your pressure washer correctly.
Let your chosen soap soak into the trailer for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, the stains will loosen further and become dislodged from the underlying surface.
Step 4: Pressure Wash Interior and Exterior
Once the soap is almost dry, you can begin washing. Start with the exterior, working from top to bottom to allow gravity to aid you. Then, go back and hit the interior similarly, providing full coverage.
Ensure you are swapping out your attachments, such as your foam cannon for the exterior or your extension wand for reaching the roof.
Step 5: Disinfect Surfaces
Once the area has been washed, apply a disinfectant, like Hotsy Vital Oxide. Pay extra attention to areas animals frequently touch, like bedding and windows.
Step 6: Inspect and Repeat if Necessary
When that’s complete, give your trailer a deep inspection. If the stains are all gone, you’re all set. However, sometimes, you’ll need to start the process again from Step 3 for the most stubborn stains.
Step 7: Allow Proper Drying
Let your trailer dry completely. Air drying is preferred, but industrial fans are also helpful if you have a busy schedule.
Final Words on Cleaning Livestock Trailers
Overall, livestock trailers are the lifeblood of many agricultural businesses. Neglecting them will only harm product quality.
That’s why investing in a pressure washer is a must. These machines are the most effective and safest way to clean your trailers–saving you time, money, and effort.
Our team at Hotsy of Houston has the know-how and equipment to help you revolutionize how you clean. As Southeast Texas’ preferred retailer, we’ve helped hundreds of businesses across industries, including:
We’ve even helped people starting a pressure washing business with pressure washing quote templates and other insider tips.
So, if you’re ready to say goodbye to the days of painstakingly scrubbing your trailers, look no further than Hotsy of Houston. Call us to learn more about how we can help you clean effectively.
