Washing a Barn 1/3 of the Time with a Wash Robot

Steve Herdina runs Herdina Hog Farms, a 3,300-head hog barn operation, in addition to offering custom washing services on the side. Like many in the industry, Steve struggled to find reliable labor for one of the toughest and most time-consuming jobs on the farm – power washing. He was spending long hours manually washing barns using a 4GPM pressure washer, which quickly became physically demanding, especially when done alone.

“I tried hiring quite a few people to wash and nobody found it enjoyable or wanted to wash more than one or two days in a row,” Steve explains. “I would end up having to finish washing myself most of the time at night or on weekends.” Custom wash crews were another option, but scheduling and inconsistent wash quality made that a challenge as well.

The solution came when Steve decided to invest in a robotic power washer from Washpower. The robot has brought multiple benefits across the board. Steve has experienced significant time savings. “I can wash a barn in a third of the time it would usually take. At 40% speed, the robot can wash a 180-foot barn in about 3 to 3.5 hours,” he says.

The robot also boosts labor efficiency, allowing Steve to multitask more effectively. With so many tasks to handle after pigs are shipped out and the new group arrives, the ability to start washing one barn while preparing the next has been a huge time-saver.

Employee morale has also improved since the robot now handles 70-80% of one of the dirtiest and most physically demanding tasks. “It’s a lot easier to keep employee morale high when a robot is doing most of the work,” Steve notes.

The robot also helps reduce fatigue for Steve and his team. “When you’re getting ready to wash a site, it’s mentally and physically a lot easier to tackle 4,000 pig spaces when you’re just touching up feeders, gates, and ceilings after the robot has done the bulk of the work.”

Setting up the robot was straightforward. Before it arrived, Steve watched instructional videos online, and once it was unboxed, he was able to connect everything and adjust the settings. Each barn is different, but the settings on the controller are easy to adjust, even while the robot is running.

For Steve, the robotic washer has turned one of the hardest jobs on the farm into a much more manageable task. The efficiency gains, consistent results, and reduced physical strain have allowed Steve to focus on other areas of his business, knowing the washing job is in good hands.