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Question about cleaning bird feeders safely

WillowBarkWillowBark Posts: 243
in Wildlife gardening
Pretty much every website I've read says to clean bird feeders with a "mild detergent" or "warm soapy water", with some being a bit more specific and saying that this can be a mixture of bleach and water, and then rinse thoroughly.

My question is, how mild is mild? What ratio of water to bleach is safe, both in terms of making sure any bugs are killed off and in making sure that there isn't residue left over after rinsing that might harm the birds. Also, what really counts as a bird-safe detergent - is bleach and water best, or will "normal" soapy water (i.e. bog standard Fairy Liquid that you use for your dishes) also do the job?

I try to clean my bird feeders regularly, but they get mucky again pretty quickly, so I want to make sure that I am not unintentionally building up any disease or toxicity problems for the birds in the long term.

Thank you.
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Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I just run the tap hot and use it to fill a normal washing up bowl with a normal amount of washing up liquid and leave the feeders in there to soak till the water is hand hot and then I give them a scrub and a rinse and leave to drain before filling again.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    Don't overthink it - Fairy Liquid is fine as is diluted bleach, try a 10% bleach solution.  Just make sure you rinse well and don't leave any soap or bleach residue. The rest of the wild world birds inhabit doesn't get bleached or soaped and they survive OK.

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Not a problem here as we're the only ones with bird feeders but that may be good for cleaning the hen house when it gets a deep clean.  Thanks @pansyface
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • PurpleRosePurpleRose Posts: 538
    I wash in hot water with washing up liquid and soak like what @Obelixx said above. I rinse really well with hot water and leave to air dry.
  • WillowBarkWillowBark Posts: 243
    @Obelixx @steephill @pansyface @PurpleRose Thank you to everyone for the advice and suggestions. It's reassuring to know that I am not doing anything wildly wrong! Off to clean the feeders now  :)
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    I cleaned my feeders on Thursday (a generous squirt of kitchen detergent in a bucket of hot water) anticipating that sparkling clean feeders might attract hoopoes, redcaps, Dartford warblers, penguins. Did it work? Did it buggery!
    Rutland, England
  • WillowBarkWillowBark Posts: 243
    BenCotto said:
    I cleaned my feeders on Thursday (a generous squirt of kitchen detergent in a bucket of hot water) anticipating that sparkling clean feeders might attract hoopoes, redcaps, Dartford warblers, penguins. Did it work? Did it buggery!
     :D Darn, I'd have placed money on the penguins.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I use fairy liquid and rinse it well.
  • WillowBarkWillowBark Posts: 243
    @fidgetbones Good to know, thank you. I had been using a bleach solution previously, but given what you and others have said I may go with Fairy Liquid from this point forward.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Ho Ho @BenCotto.  Hoopoes don't arrive here till spring and don't stay very long either.  They disappear a lot sooner than the swallows.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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