Interesting that the information that you all gave left out the MOST important part. Kaye, knows that I am a FREAK when it comes to milking and getting quality milk. But, left out some important facts.
Yes, you do need to either wash the udder or use a pre-dip. You can use whatever solution that you want. I just a fan of iodine. The label says to mix the water to 25ppm of iodine. That is 1 oz of 1% iodine to 5 gallons of water. But, there has been studies to where that is not enough iodine for a kill rate. It is recommonded that you mix atleast to the level of 100ppm of iodine to water(1oz to a gallon of water). I know somepeople use a bleach water solution, that is fine as long as you prepare a fresh solution at every milking and dont let it set for over 30 minutes. The big problem that I have seen with beach water prep is brunt teat ends. That one was not careful when mixing the water.
Also, with the perfered method, you need to work the sanitizer onto the teats. That does not just mean dip the teat then come back 60 seconds later and wipe off. There is BIG debates over this, should you dip....strip...wipe.... OR....strip....dip...wipe. There has not been enough studies to show that either way is the best. But, the fact is to get the sanitzier worked onto the teat....MAINLY the teat end. That little muscle is the guard with any masitisis prevention.
Look at the teat ends...should do at every milking...but we all know how that goes. You can feel them with you thumb and get idea of the condition that they are in. SCRUB the teat end also with the solution. That is where the majority of the dirt ends on up on the teat. I sat in on a class once that this little excerise was AMAZING to see really how bad people prep the teats.
Take a marker and place a dot on the end of a finger. Then use what ever method you would use to begin milking with....washing or pre-dipping. Then use the finger as a teat and prep it the same way you do your does teats. The majority of the class still had the dot on the end of the finger. That is the dirt that is shoved up into the udder at the beginning of milking. It was suprising just how you did not think of it being dirt. So, the best thing is to make sure that those teat ends are CLEAN. A healthy teat end should just be a little white cirlce at the orfice.
Also, after you have prepped you doe for milking....DONT waste time putting the milkers of her. The milkers should be attached in 60 to 90 seconds from the first time you touched the udder. Time yourself sometime and see how long it takes. I use to do that in the parlor and it was AMAZING to see that 90 seconds goes by FAST.
Then at the end of milking use a GOOD quailty teat dip. Again, I like my iodine teat dips. Should be atleast 1/2% iodine or if you dont want to use iodine then get a Cholohexidine dip. The best cholohexidine dip is one with a killing agent of Cholohexdine Acidate(sp) not Glunate(sp). They have found that bacteria can grow in the Glunate dips....mainly staph. That is one you DONT want to mess with. Dip it on....dont spray it on the teat. If you spray most of the time you only get one side of the teat and use more dip then if you dip. If you dip get a Non-return dipper, you can use the dip in the cup for more than one doe, just be SURE you wash it out after each milking. Never let teat dip sit out between milkings without a cover on it.
The last thing, make sure YOU are clean when you start milking. Most people think that is not that important but, it really is. Alot of people now are wearing gloves when milking(me being one of them). It just makes keeping things clean alot better. They say dont reuse gloves, but I will admitt I have before if they are just not nasty, but most of the time after milking 250 i just throw them in the trash.
Hope this helps
ken