To wash or not to wash..that is the question

[Suki]

In the United States, Canada, and Japan, shell eggs are washed and graded before being packaged for retail (Zeidler, 2002). Although washing eggs was once disallowed in the United States, it is now required for all retail shell eggs (Food and Drug Administration, 2000; USDA, 2004).

Washing eggs with water colder than the egg, with water heavily contaminated with bacteria, with water containing large amounts of soluble iron, or in machines whose surfaces are contaminated with large numbers of microorganisms are factors determined to increase the chances of bacterial cross-contamination during egg washing...Appropriate detergents, sanitizers, sanitizer levels, and defoamers; prompt drying of washed eggs; changing of the wash water at least every 4 h; and prohibition of soaking are ...addressed by the guidelines.

http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/87/6/1211.full

Sue Paolini

PS Another article says that warm to hot water is problematic.  I always use cold which is what i was taught back in the day in Home Ec.