Disinfect and deodorize your chicken coop with this all-natural chicken coop cleaner. Made with a mixture of simple ingredients including herbs and lemons, this cleaning spray will refresh, restore and keep your coop smelling good.

Don’t wear your favorite shoes …

It never fails that when I put on a nice pair of shoes or my favorite flip flops, I manage to step into a pile of chicken poop.

My beautiful shoes soiled.

Proper hygiene does not appear to be a top priority for our chickens. But on our homestead, we strive for a clean coop for our animals to dwell in.

Whether you have a flock of meat birds, egg layers or a batch of baby chicks, it is always good to occasionally give your chicken coop a thorough cleaning. I doubt the chickens appreciate a clean space as much as we do, but it sure does look and smell better after it has been tidied up.

There are a variety of cleaning products you can use to remove bacteria and reduce odor but not all of them are natural. Harsh and toxic does not equal clean. In our all-natural chicken coop cleaner recipe, we use the power of herbs, fruit and vodka to destroy bacteria. By using natural ingredients we can be assured that our coop is clean, our animals are healthy and we are not breathing in toxic fumes.

Summer is the best time to create this cleaning spray since there are a bounty of fresh herbs available. We prefer to use vodka for cleaning instead of vinegar but if you’re making up a big batch of this cleaning spray to use year around, it can be awkward to purchase multiple large bottles of vodka from the store.

The cashier never seems to believe us when we declare “it’s for our chickens” as we place an arm’s worth of vodka on the conveyor belt at checkout.

But I digress.

Benefits of Using Natural Cleaning Products

As with many DIY cleaning recipes, there are a variety of benefits, including cost savings and no harsh chemicals for you, your family or your livestock. Here is the purpose for each ingredient inside this homemade chicken coop cleaner recipe.

Vodka: Vodka is an excellent choice for homemade cleaners. Not only does is have great disinfecting and degreasing abilities, it is also odorless, making it a pleasant choice to work with. There is no need to spend the big bucks on a bottle of alcohol. Just grab the cheap stuff, usually located on the bottom shelf of a grocery store isle. We prefer vodka over vinegar in this chicken coop cleaner because it will not freeze during those cold winter months. But if vinegar is all you have on hand, use it! Vinegar is a fantastic choice for cleaning coops and homes.

Lemon: I like to use lemons in almost all of my cleaning products. It smells great and works wonders around our home. The citric acid in lemons is great for killing bacteria and removing stains. You can use lemons to deodorize, refresh wood, freshen up the air and brighten up surfaces. There is not much that this sour fruit can’t do!

Mint, Lavender, Rosemary and Oregano: These four herbs were selected to create a powerhouse effect to refresh the coop and kill bacteria. If you don’t have them all on hand, just add more of what you have. For example, double the amount of mint if you don’t have any fresh oregano on hand. Thyme and lemon balm are also great additions to this coop cleaner.

How to Clean a Chicken Coop

1. Scoop out the old straw, shavings or bedding, dirt, feathers and manure from the ground, nesting boxes and roosts. 
2. You can take a hose to the coop to remove excess mess but in our barn, this does not work well. Instead we will use a shovel to scrape away tough, stuck-on spots and then follow with the chicken coop cleaner and refresh spray. If you have a window in your coop, open it up to allow fresh air in. 
3. Lay down fresh bedding such as new straw or pine shavings.

How Often Do you Clean Out a Chicken Coop?

There are many variables to know when to clean out a chicken coop. Things such as amount of space, ventilation, number of chickens and the season. For us, my family typically cleans out the chicken coop about 3-4 times a year. This includes a thorough cleaning of the room and fresh straw laid down. Between cleanings, if we notice the coop smells, we will use the all-natural coop cleaner and refresher to deodorize the room.

DIY Chicken Coop Cleaner Recipe

Summertime is an excellent season to make up a variety of herbal cleaners. Create a double batch of this recipe so that you can have extra to use throughout the fall and winter months when fresh herbs are no longer available.

Ingredients to Make Coop Cleaner

1.75 liter bottle of vodka
Handful of each herb: fresh mint, lavender, rosemary and oregano
3 lemons, chopped

Supplies Needed to Create an All-Natural Coop Cleaner

1/2 gallon jar
Mesh strainer
Spray bottle

How to Make a Homemade Chicken Coop Cleaner and Deodorizer

Fill a half gallon jar about 3/4 full with vodka.

Add a handful of each herb (mint, lavender, rosemary, oregano) into the jar. Chop lemons into chunks and place in jar. Cover jar with an airtight lid. Set in a sunny window for about two weeks to allow the herbs to infuse into the vodka. Shake the jar every couple of days.

When the herbs are finished infusing, place a mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour mixture through strainer to remove herbs, lemons and any small particles. Using a funnel, pour the finished product into a spray bottle.

To use the all-natural chicken coop cleaner, spray on nesting boxes, straw and roosts to clean and deodorize.

Keep your entire homestead clean with a variety of all natural cleaning recipes inside my free eBook.

More Chicken Tutorials

• How to Raise Broilers
• Build a Chicken Tractor

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