Dealing with the fear of dirt

There's a lot of interest in my farm eggs from my co-workers, and a couple people have requested to be added to a list to get eggs every odd while. They asked "You wash them, right?" and this got me thinking...

We're taught, today, to be afraid of every germ and every surface, to medicate whenever possible and and that anything but spic and span is unacceptable, dangerous and deadly. I'm of the train of thought, within reason, this is a crock. Yet, when I hear about something making people sick, I avoid it at all costs, overwash it or whatever the case may be... to some extent, I'm afraid of dirt. My favorite thing in the world is raw egg nog and the mix for french toast. I drink it and I spend the next 3 days panicking that I've killed myself.

I don't wash my eggs, I figure if they are dirty enough that I have to wash them they should just get cooked and go back out to the birds or get given to the pets. If they're being boiled, I'm pretty sure they're sanitized after 12 minutes in boiling water, and if they're being cracked, well I don't think its a bother. Then it occurred to me, it worried me despite what I believe, as I blew on the hard boiled egg to get it out of its shell (I tear them apart, otherwise). What if it wasn't sanitized, I thought, what if I get sick now, and if I washed it, what if I didnt do it good enough and blah blah blah.

Now I know I"m mostly over-reacting, but I'm very worried about the prospect of my eggs making people sick, though I don't see that happening. How do you deal with these thoughts or am I the only one who has them LOL

Seems that most people here wash their eggs. I don't like to personally. I like to leave the natural bloom in place, both for hatching and consumption. Very rarely do I get a really dirty egg but if I do the dogs get them or I boil them up and give them back to the chooks, shell and all.
So I get what you mean about not wanting to wash them, but I know lots of others do.

I am troubled by the curse of the mud, so if I didn't wash any eggs I would be feeding an awful lot to the dogs, cats and chickens. I don't wash hatching eggs and only incubate the muddier ones at home (so far without any trouble and usually get a healthy, happy chick out of the deal).

I also find that I have a couple hens who shall not be named, that no matter how clean the coop they some how make it to the nest box with muddy feet and get it all over the eggs!

I prefer to not wash eggs, because it's the worst chicken owning chore, but I just don't feel the climate here allows me much choice, particularly in fall, winter and spring.

I absolutely wash every egg that is to be eaten, the ones for giving back to the broody hen or incubation, they are left unwashed with the bloom on. If the eggs for broody or incubation are dirty, I will take a damp cloth and wipe off any dirt that I see detrimental. I still give that egg to the incubator or hen.

When I wash eggs, I have a little white sock that I put on my right hand. I am right handed. I hold the egg in my left hand and have a small drizzle of water running, which is very warm. I wash each egg with the little sock on my hand. If the eggs are clean, which 90% of the are, I wash them anyways. They are not really washed, in a container of water, just a drizzle that runs all over the egg. I feel that this is necessary, as I do not believe that the vent of a chicken is very clean, no matter how clean the eggs look, and neither is the nest box, the eggs must be washed lightly. I do not use a sanitizer, I think that warm running water is good enough, probably still doesn't get "germs" off, but it is to my satisfaction. I have been washing eggs in this manner for about 6 years, have sold many dozens and given away many dozens and eaten many dozens. Never once has anyone become sick. I wash my eggs. Period. Just me, I do not like to see a dirty egg. I do not toss dirty eggs, if they are just poopy, I spend a little more time to clean them. Each egg is precious to me and I care not to waste them by feeding them to critters. Once in a blue moon I get a poopy egg, but that is pretty rare occasion.

It is breeding season big time now. When a rooster has his way with a hen, she squats down and she is pushed on the ground. It is kind of muddy right now as the snow is melting. When that hen is mated, her breast and tummy get a little muddy. This is particularly bad in my buckeye pen, the cochin and buff orpington outside pens are less muddy. All the eggs that the buckeyes are laying right now have lightly muddy soiled eggs. I cannot get away from that, honky roosters, mating each and every one of the hens, makes for some pretty muddy eggs. Not poopy, just mud, sigh...and they all like to lay in one box, not the other one. So as each hen goes in and lays an egg, if there is an egg or eggs already in there, they get muddy from that hen and subsequent girls. Blah. Oh well, to make a longer story shorter, I wash each and every egg that is going to be broke open for human consumption and I do not toss dirty, poopy eggs, I wash those too. Lots of good comments here, liking this thread. Have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM.

I rinse the dirty ones and if they are stained I keep them for myself. Usually they are very clean, though. I sell them just like that. They keep much longer. When I was in Mexico, the eggs were not refigerated. Why waste precious electricity when the hens provide "hermetically sealed" eggs? (So to speak!)