Yucky flow frames

Using Bruce Willis’ voice/
I’ve done worse than that. :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Right so you have not done it and can not verify whether it eft no I’ll effects on hive
Thanks for your advice

Thanks for your help.but I might pass until somebody tells me they have used this process

People,
Can the next people who respond start with the sentence “ when my frames were dirty with wax, propilis etc I used the following method to clean them and it was succcessful”
Nothing beats experience, after all the world is full of dreamers, helpers, leaders, followers and unsuccessful ideas
Thanks for your help

PS if it does turn turtle it is me buying the spare frames at $100+ a pop

There are many posts about cleaning flow frames here. Some digress, as many a friendly conversation will. Here is a post by Bianca from the Flow team & I hope it helps:

There’s this post as well.

Pressure steamer.

Fred Dunn has a video on using this method on his YouTube channel on plastic and other Hive parts.

Inevitably flow frames will degrade, clogg and rotating out like normal frames is good husbandry.

Traditional plastic foundation frames are stripped to the bare almost flat plastic, boiled then rewaxed.

Your not going to be able to do that with the current flow frames.

Something Flow may work on for future upgrades.

I clean mine after every harvest so not came across your dilema

I’d be interested in your process of cleaning the flow frames after every harvest, assuming your cleaning process will prevent the flow frames from becoming yucky over several years.

wouldn’t steam be way too hot for flow frames? I have used a high pressure hose- but that didn’t really work. I watched his video and noted that it took a long time and the wax wasn’t really coming off that well. When you melt wax it tends to run all over the surfaces and then just set hard again. This issue with flow frames is you need to go deep into the cells. The plastic is quite thin and I think the steam would damage it.

Eva, Thankyou for your input. My ist post on this describes my previous efforts. One of which was warm soapy water and as I previously advised my mum would have been proud of my efforts but not so proud of the results

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Chau06,
Cheers. I do not need to sterilise irradiate . I just want to clean them

Dear Happyhibee,
Now we might be getting somewhere
Can you confirm you use this method and it works?
People, if you have no experience with this method there is no need to offer your thoughts, guesses or suppositions
Cheers

Jeff, you are welcome, but I guess you missed this part of Bianca’s (Flow’s) advice.

Eva,
Thanks
But as is the famous Yoda quote
“ Do or do not, there is no try”
Cheers

I note your frustration over some of the replies you’re receiving… However…

I quote you: “Do I buy a replacement frame ever year and change out on a “ rolling basis” I am not angry if I have to do this as beekeeping is my hobby”. Would you be happy to buy replacement frames, say every 4-5 years on a “rolling basis”?

I know - but in that posting/link they show various solvents and solutions that are safe to use on the flow frames.

Jeff,
Would I be happy- only if there is not a method to clean.
I am having great difficulty understanding that I am the only person in the world that has this problem. So referring back to my initial comment perhaps I am a dill after all. As for frustration you are spot on. I must be old , when I was studying the lecturers always asked “tell me how you would…” or “what is the answer to…” . Rambling in submissions invariably ended up with less than satisfactory score

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Chau06,
The cleaning procedures listed advise that “ the procedures do not interfere with the mechanical function” 1/2 way there, what about the bees?

Ethanol, Na2CO3, NaOH, Sodium hypochlorite, water. None of those things are harmful to bees in low concentration and any of those solutions are easily rinsed from the frames.