What should I use to wash bird feeders & storage containers? (toxic, feathers)
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to use to wash bird feeders and everything birds eat from? I use regular dawn and rinse it well with water. Is dawn antibacterial dish soap safe to use? I am going to wash a non-toxic storage container where I will be putting a ground bird feeder when it's not being used. I will only use it when it rains since I already have a bird feeding station but only the bird feeder and waterer can be protected using domes. The Sterilite storage containers does have a plastic smell to it which all storage containers have including other brands have. But aSterilite is the only non-toxic one. If I use the orange dawn antibacterial soap will this be safe even if it leaves the storage container smelling like orange? I heard it does this. Sterilite recommended white vinegar but from a lot of forums I been reading that it's not safe for birds. I did see lady on youtube clean bird feeders using this soap.
Any basic dish soap and hot water will kill bacteria, disable viruses and most fungal organisms. Doesn't need to be "antibacterial". That's marketing hype. The soap itself is already "antibacterial".
FWIW, I have kept aviary birds most of my adult life. I have always used regular dishwashing soap to clean their dishes and food containers. Because birds tend to be more sensitive to lower concentrations of chemical residues and less is known about them (compared to a dog or cat) I use the cleaners with the simplest ingredient list. Despite using simpler cleaners I've never lost a bird to a contagious disease or to poisoning from plastic food containers. Once again OP you are overthinking this.
Wash with regular dish detergent/soap, rinse well with hot water, and let dry. You're done. FWIW, I don't use citrus cleaning products on food containers, especially plastic. Citrus is caustic and can be absorbed by some materials. It can corrode metals. Vinegar is also caustic but probably less so than concentrated citrus oils.
You can find lots of c&*# on YouTube. Basically anyone can post anything they want.
Last edited by Parnassia; 01-08-2021 at 05:16 PM..
Any basic dish soap and hot water will kill bacteria, disable viruses and most fungal organisms. Doesn't need to be "antibacterial". That's marketing hype. The soap itself is already "antibacterial".
FWIW, I have kept aviary birds most of my adult life. I have always used regular dishwashing soap to clean their dishes and food containers. Because birds tend to be more sensitive to lower concentrations of chemical residues and less is known about them (compared to a dog or cat) I use the cleaners with the simplest ingredient list. Despite using simpler cleaners I've never lost a bird to a contagious disease or to poisoning from plastic food containers. Once again OP you are overthinking this.
Wash with regular dish detergent/soap, rinse well with hot water, and let dry. You're done. FWIW, I don't use citrus cleaning products on food containers, especially plastic. Citrus is caustic and can be absorbed by some materials. It can corrode metals. Vinegar is also caustic but probably less so than concentrated citrus oils.
You can find lots of c&*# on YouTube. Basically anyone can post anything they want.
I don't have indoor birds. This is for outdoor birds. I use a water hose so the water isn't hot. I later rinse all the bird feeders and everything else with purified gallon water to make sure I rinsed it well.
I don't have indoor birds. This is for outdoor birds. I use a water hose so the water isn't hot. I later rinse all the bird feeders and everything else with purified gallon water to make sure I rinsed it well.
"Indoor" bird, "outdoor" bird doesn't matter! Their basic physiology is the same!
Using purified water to rinse anything is basically a waste of $. As soon as you open the container to air or the water touches anything it is no longer "purified"! Are you unable or unwilling fill a bucket or pan with hot water and take it outdoors to rinse these items?
I believe they use specifically Dawn liquid soap on birds after an oil spill. Diluted of course. Birds are individually soaped up and rinsed.
True, I’ve used it on Wilbur, a goose who gets wet feather and after a bath in the tub, he’s perfectly fine. Dawn gets the gunk off his feathers and cleans the skin for the antibacterial spray he gets afterwards. Dawn is a good and cheap way to get them clean, it’s amazing how much dirt comes off in the rinse water. Use the blue formula.
What should I use? (washing/storage of food containers)
I have a Sterilite container where I will store ground bird feeders in. They are non-toxic and safe to store food in. It says on the website and customer service already confirmed this online and on the phone. It even has a number on the bottom of the container that means it's safe to store food in. I need to wash it to get rid of the smell. Dawn soap wasn't strong enough to get rid of it. I need something stronger but it has to be non-toxic and safe for all the birds. What can I use? I was told vinegar but that is toxic for birds according to what people have told me on bird forums so I don't feel safe using it. I need something 100% safe, just a soap. The ground bird feeders will be in non-toxic bags except the one with legs since it's too big to fit in bags. This one I will cover the top and bottom with bags held by rubber bands so they can't come off and the Sterilite container will have a lid and latch and will put it in my closet since I have no other place. I don't want to leave it outside because I read that polypropylene is dangerous to be left outside in the heat and it can release dangerous chemicals. This is why I have to put it in now before the summer starts so I will be buying a new one. This is it. Again, I need a soap that will be strong to get rid of the smell but 100% safe for birds.
Did you run the container through a dishwasher ? If not, there should be no issue for the container.
As far as leaving it outside, I raised birds for over 30 years using similar containers and never once encountered a problem like you explained. The only issue I encountered was that leaving them in direct sun constantly makes them brittle over time.
I am not telling you what to do, just offering my personal experience.
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"Indoor" bird, "outdoor" bird doesn't matter! Their basic physiology is the same!
What should I use? (washing/storage of food containers)
