The effect of spray washers and inside‐and‐outside bird washers on the microbiological quality of broiler carcasses was examined in 13 poultry slaughterhouses. The carcasses were sampled by means of the carcass rinse method; total and Enterobacteriaceae counts were estimated. The decrease in total and Enterobacteriaceae counts due to spray washing was as high as with the use of an inside‐and‐outside bird washer. From this investigation the conclusion can be drawn that the use of an inside‐and‐outside bird washer does not guarantee a better microbiological cleaning of the inside of the carcasses made ‘mandatory’ by EEC regulations.